Making Up Lost Time
by TangoFever
Summary: CHAPTER 12 ADDED! Discovering the murder of a close friend, Lara seeks revenge. She's forced to cooperate with a former ally, together they unearth the mystery behind the killer and what he's after. LC
1. Gone Wrong

She ran towards the large oak door, both her guns raised.

_Shit_. Her last pair of clips left, nine rounds in each, making a total of eighteen. By assumption, it seemed like there were at least twenty, maybe more, of the museum guards patrolling the corridors. She quickly entered what seemed like an empty gallery.

_Well at least I'll be able to catch my breath_. She thought.

Instantly, as if knowing, three armed men stepped into the room. One of them wore a bulletproof vest and carried two semi-automatics in each hand, while others seemed to be dragging something; a body. Peering closer, Lara crouched behind a large statue. The pitiful creature that was grasped in the claws of imprisonment seemed to have dark hair and… looked like someone she had known. Rethinking everything that happened that day, she realized she _did_ know who. It must have been Kurtis; she had little doubt that she could be wrong. Lara slithered down the hall on all fours, keeping one pistol in her hand. The men that were dragging Kurtis's figure did not acknowledge a female presence in the room. Without thinking, Lara jumped up, aimed her gun at one of the men and fired a "warning shot", into his head.

"That's my first warning" she said; the man dropping down on his knees and causing a loud thud.

The remaining guards seemed to freeze, as if planning their next move strategically. Keeping one pistol leveled at one of the men, she grabbed her other firearm and targeted the alternative victim.

"Lara?" Kurtis weakly raised his head and looked up at her.

"Listen boys, I have things to do, people to see, lets make this quick, and no one gets hurt." Lara tried her best not to smile. "Should have made up your mind quicker" she scolded, while expunging the two equipped men.

Both of them dropped like shot down birds, taking Kurtis down with them. He got up, brushed off an arm of his captor and slowly walked up to Lara.

"Thanks, but I had things handled" Kurtis said smugly, eyes sparkling with mischief.

"Really? Oh, were you planning on quickly planting bullets into them with _this?_" She took his Boran X pistol and held it up, hearing the gun clicking with no more ammo. While laughing, she handing him his weapon and continued down the hall. Kurtis ran to her side, taking his Chirugai in one hand. Lara slowly maneuvered through the building. Locating an exit sign she almost ran towards it, motivated to get out of hell. Then suddenly, the piercing sound of bullets carved the air. Running in opposite directions, Lara and Kurtis split up.

She tried her best to creep around the guards while Kurtis distracted them with his beautifully guided flying disk. The hail of bullets whirled past her head; almost planting themselves in their desired destination.

Out of nowhere, a shock of pain plunged through Lara. Looking down at her long thin left leg, a heavy flow of blood streamed down. _And I thought this would be a quick job._ She attempted to stand, but failed as her weight shifted and the limbs below her waist gave way.

Kurtis must have seen the wound because he rushed to her side, pressuring his rough hands on the injury. Lara slid down to the ground, her back against the wall. Taking both pistols in each hand, she wrapped her arms around the corner and fired at anything she could hit. Must have been some lucky shots, since the noise died down and the only sound in the room was Lara groaning.

"Great, just great!" She gritted her teeth in pain as the agony pulsated from the gash up to her head and arms.

"We gotta get this bandaged up. Think you can manage to the exit?" Kurtis's voice became concerned and he ripped the sleeve of his shirt to form a gauze. He dressed the bleeding limb carefully, minding the deep slash as he did so. Lara nodded, though just that tiny action caused more suffering.

They both slowly stood up, Kurtis helping her with a hand, guiding them to there destination. Making their way towards the exit Lara moaned quietly.

"How are you doing? Do you feel dizzy?" Kurtis asked in a sensitive and caring voice. He actually did care for Lara's well being; no matter how well he tried to hide it.

"Could be better." She responded, the pain becoming a nuisance and very tiring. She gripped Kurtis's shoulder while attempting to keep her own weight on herself. If only she could focus on the matter at hand and not the erotic feel of his tense muscles beneath her palms, she might have figured out what to do next. Just being this close to him was exhilarating. His rough touch; that intimate sweet smell; and his sexy voice was enough to make Lara feel dizzier than she should have been.

When they exited the small yet memorable building, a burst of cold English air greeted Lara and Kurtis. Chilling yet very satisfying; the freezing air wrapped around each of them in a shiver. A trail of blood had made its way from the injured leg all the way back to the gallery.

"I think the closest and safest spot for us right now, is your place." Kurtis looked at her; her beautiful features now bruised and scared. Her face was dirty and her eyes bloodshot red. Still, to him, she was beyond breath-taking. She was a Greek goddess that somehow managed to seduce his frozen heart.

Lara slowly awoke as the rocking movement of the motorcycle eased its way into her long and Winston-flowered driveway. She was sitting behind Kurtis on his bike; his warm body pressed close to her own. She could feel the quick beat of his heart through her chest. Thigh to thigh they sat; their figures fitting perfectly into one another. Her face as well as some of her hair was nestled on his back. A slight bump was all that took to make Lara instantly aware of her being. Her leg throbbing, and a massive migraine, all she could think about was doing a hard header on her luxurious and comfortable bed. Endless hours of pure, brilliant, sleep.

Making their way towards Lara's front door, the only thing she could think about was how long she will be able to rest. Kurtis on the other hand, kept watch of Lara's enlarging wound. For the moment his only thoughts focused on getting something to clean it up and bandage it.

She unlocked her heavy oak door with a sigh of relief. Walking in though, the first thing she noticed for was how cold it was within the house. Slow paced footsteps could be heard from the main hall.

"Winston!" She proclaimed at the site of him. Forgetting the pain and rushing towards the elderly man, she almost knocked him over. He embraced her with wide open arms and a welcoming smile.   
"I wasn't expecting you 'till tomorrow Lara!" Looking from her to the strange man still standing near the door; Kurtis looking more uncomfortable than anything, he asked if their guest was staying the night.

"Yes, Kurtis will be staying with us for a little bit. Kurtis this is my butler, Winston. If you need anything just ask and he'll bring it up."

"Hey, quite a place you have here." Kurtis, freeing his right hand of the bag he was carrying, put out his palm. Winston shook his hand and turned to Lara.

"Where should I take Mr.…" he trailed off.

"Trent, but I'd prefer if you'd call me Kurtis."

The sudden pain finally caught up with Lara once again. Looking down at her leg, she remembered the unearthly pain it caused her in the museum. Kurtis turned and made his way towards her. Kneeling down by the now sitting Lara, he looked at her wound more closely.

"Where are your bandages" He asked, his rough fingertips running over her thigh. The feeling it gave her caused her to shiver. She glanced at him; at his hypnotic eyes.

For a moment time stood still. It was only her and Kurtis. His hand still lay on her thigh. Lara couldn't understand this strange feeling in her gut. It was like lava flowing up and almost ready to burst. The heat between them thickened and Lara felt her heart give way. Wrapping his hand around the back of her neck he slowly leaned in. As if teasing he just held there; lips only millimeters apart, waiting for her reaction, that smug smile on his face starting to form.


	2. Silent Night

**Alright so I OWN NOTHING. Enough said. Anyways here is chapter two, sorry it's a little short, but if you R&R the next chapter will be longer and perhaps I'll even add a little love scene later on… well then here ya go, enjoy. **

Chapter 2

At this point Lara thought that she would collapse, so much desire was underneath her skin that she felt like she was floating a cloud. She forcefully turned her head away, regretting it immediately when the warm air on her neck subsided.

Attempting to stand, she pulled herself upward pushing Kurtis aside. Pain searing through her she tried her best to push it aside making her way toward the kitchen. Kurtis stood up and just looked at her, her slender figure moving away.

After soaking in her massive bathtub for a few hours, Lara made her way downstairs, making sure that she didn't make a sound on her way down. That idea however was brutally murdered when she stepped on the second to last step. Making an obnoxiously loud cracking sound; the floorboard beneath her feet slightly shifted.

_Damn it. _As soon as the thought struck her mind she heard a heavy door open. A familiar figure emerged from the upstairs guestroom. Quickly without really thinking she bolted down the corridor.

"Winston!" a loud yell could be heard miles away "WINSTON!" Lara marched into her gym, furious, at herself and really just at anything she could get a hold on. Where the hell was her butler when she really needed him? Violently she hurled a punch toward one of the navy blue punching bags. Another fallowed by a deathly kick, and just when she thought she was ready to explode with fury a calm voice entered the room.

"I hope that's not me your thinking of." Nodding toward the battered bag, Kurtis calmly walked over to a heavily breathing Lara.

Her eyes darted from him to the heavy bag dangling tantalizingly from a chain.

"What were you doing at the museum Kurtis?" it was time the subject was brought up, if not now, then when? She searched his face for some sort of explanation; nothing except a small sigh came from him.

"I wanted to thank you…." He paused, slowly looking up at Lara and just catching her gaze. "for everything."

Kurtis moved around the leather bag, making his way around it so that it was the only thing between him and Lara.

Lara grunted as she threw yet another fist at the dangling object in her way. A bead of sweat trickled down her forehead. Kurtis made sure to stand just out of reach, making Lara even angrier, if that was possible. All she wanted to do was knock his damn lights out. Giving up on Kurtis, she stopped and stared at him. "You're welcome." She whispered. _You lying cocky bastard._

Back in her bedroom, Lara attempted to fall asleep. Though she tried to stop it, the thought of Kurtis kept rushing back into her head. She hated how he could make her so furious, and then just change everything and make her feel vulnerable and weak.

She shoved her goose-feather covers aside and walked up to her mirror. Looking at her herself she realized how exhausted she looked. Her face pale, and the bags under her eyes were blue enough to make anyone think she got hit in the face. She rubbed her eyes, releasing a suppressed sigh she didn't even know she had held. Lara turned towards her bedroom door. She could see a faint light through the crack near the floor. _He's still up at this hour? What the hell could he be doing?_ Quietly tiptoeing towards the door, she stopped suddenly when she heard voices. She froze instantly when she was able to make out the words "…..kill…..no noise…..now." She flew towards her dresser grabbing her twin metal "best-friends". However, it was too late, searing pain shot through her head down to her toes. Grunting at the pain, she fell forward and hit the ground.

And then, dead silence.

Kurtis walked through the halls of Croft Manor, his cold steel Boran X held up. Making his way from the guestroom to the downstairs gym he noticed the complete dead silence of the mansion. No lights, no movement, not even another sign of life. _Where the hell is everyone? _Lowering his weapon, he stepped into Lara's study.

The sight alone was unexplainable. There she was, the beauty with dark auburn hair, dangling loosely in the center of the room. Steel cable around her neck, and her head hanging limp to one side.

"Lara!" Kurtis ran towards her, his chirugai slicing through the cable above her ghostly white head. Just before she hit the ground, he caught her.

She was cold as ice, her lips blue, and a trickle of blood flowed down from her lips. He untied her restraints, and shook her "Lara, you have to wake up! Wake up Lara! Wake up!" hoping for any sign of life. _No please, please god not her. _

He sat there, the beautiful Lara, dead, in his powerful arms.

"NO!" Kurtis jolted upward in his bed. His heart beating so fast and hard that the thumping could be felt in his head. His body covered in a thin layer of sweat. Breathing heavily he threw the covers off. His face in his hands he stood up and walked towards the bedroom door. As soon as he opened the door a breeze wrapped his entire wet body. _What the…_ he looked at Lara's door. It was wide open. He rushed in, dread filling in his stomach. The room was empty, only the sheer white linen curtains flew dancingly around in the breeze. Moving towards the large bed, he froze, lead filling in every part of him.

**Hello all! Well thanks for reading, now I just know you want to click that little button on the left…. **


	3. Running Scared

**Hey guys! alright well here is chapter 3! even i myself am excited about this chapter! thats right I OWN NOTHING... except Vasiliev. THANK YOU TO ALL OF THOSE WHO HAVE READ AND REVIEWED! it means alot to me! hugs k here it is...**

The black van moved easily through the English streets. Passing the parliament building, it came to a complete stop only 2 hours later. Lara Croft, her hands tied and blindfolded, awoke to the sound of footsteps.

A tall man dress in a black trench coat, walked into the room. Lara lifted her head, not being able to see anything, because the black fabric still covering her eyes blocked out all light.

"Lara Croft. How lovely we finally get to meet, though I am sorry about the, current situation." His accent Russian and she could smell the smoke lingering in his mouth.

The blindfold flew over her head. Squinting from the light, she turned her head. The room itself was small, perhaps only 100 sq ft. Three men were in the room, two of them with heavy winter coats, and the third dressed in all black, was standing over her. He turned briskly and motioned his hand "leave us". The two guards left the room without question.

"Who the hell are you?" she spat at him, eyes blazing.

"Ah, well I thought you would know that…" He quickly turned away from her and walked towards the little table in the corner of the room. "Last night, you took something from me, and I want it back."

"Well doesn't everyone." She mumbled under her breath.

"Give me the Jade Key, and it spares your life." The last few words forced a little shiver up Lara's spine.

"You must be Vasiliev, the little art dealer who 'accidentally' dug it up in Tibet." She forced a small sarcastic smile off her lips.

"Don't push me Croft" he marched towards her, with the large syringe that he picked up moments ago. Lara's eyes grew wide.

"What are going to do with that?" she asked trying to cover her fearful expression. The one thing that Lara hated her entire life were syringes, add a psychopath, and mystery liquid to that equation and you get a timid combination.

"Why this…." He points to the glass tube in his hand, "is just a little bit of…. How would you say… insurance" Satisfied with the look on Lara's pale face, he briskly stepped towards the chair she was sitting in and took off the cap of the syringe.

"Touch me, and I'll kill you!"

She wiggled and strained but it was no use. Vasiliev grabbed her hair and pulled her head back revealing a beautiful thin long neck.

"You see this is just a small amount of the NoranB virus." He leaned in and brushed his lips against her neck, smelling her. "First it attacks the respiratory system, slowly suffocating you. Then it takes toll on your heart, beat by beat it causes your heart to contract suddenly until it completely stops" His drew his left hand up to her face.

Lara was breathing rapidly. She was quivering and her heart was pumping as much blood as it could. "You son of bitch!" she sneered at him, as his hand left her face and slowly moved down her neck. The back of his hand resting on her partially exposed breast. "Such a beautiful woman, what a waste." Then suddenly he jerked his hand away from her and stabbed the syringe into Lara's exposed neck. She yelped in pain, and then started to shake violently, until her vision turned red and then black.

"There is an antidote to stop all of this. Tell me where the Key is and it saves your life" he glared at her. Lara could not breath, she felt like the world was spinning around her and her abdominal muscles started to contract. "Fuck you" she whispered, the weakness in her voice evident.

"The full affect will take place in 24 hours. By then I am sure we will have your body bag prepared."

"I'll tell you nothing- please be my guest, shoot me now if you would like. Either way you won't find out where it i-" she was interrupted by a sharp quick pain across her right cheek. Vasiliev raised his hand again to strike but he stopped just millimeters away from her face. He lifted her chin with his index finger. "That little attitude of yours is not going to get you anywhere." With that, he turned briskly and walked out, ordering something to one of the guards.

* * *

Kurtis stared at the tasseled white sheets. Nothing was there, but the tangle of them made it apparent that there was some sort of struggle. He ran out of the room, running downstairs he almost slipped on the carpet. "Winston!" he screamed out. The entire building was completely empty. He raced into the large kitchen.

There was blood everywhere. Winston's old body lay shredded on the floor. His clothes torn and bloodied Kurtis himself had to look away. _Shit_. There was a small note left on the body – _come after her, and you'll share the same fate. _He ripped the note off Winston and set it on the counter. Kurtis reached for the phone and dialed 999.

"_Emergency services, what is the nature of your call?"_

"This is Officer Kurtis Trent, I'd like to report a body at the Croft Estate."

"_Thank you sir, we'll send someone right over."_

Kurtis ran his hands through his hair. He glanced at the note again, re-reading it. Then suddenly an idea hit him. He ran up the stairs again and entered Lara's bedroom. Quickly looking around he walked outside on her balcony. He gazed down. _There you are._ There were at least four or five motorcycle tracks and only car trail. Kurtis re-entered the bedroom again and picked up the beautiful twin pistols lying on the oak floor. He briskly walked back to his room, grabbed his black t-shirt and threw on a pair of dark denim jeans.

Checking the video camera monitors in the study, he rewound the latest one and just as he thought, license plates were visible. While walking towards his bike he dialed a federal number and asked for Ray Griffin.

"_Kurtis_?" He paused a moment. "_Do you have any idea what time it is_?"

"Ray, sorry to call at this hour but this is important." He paused fully knowing that Ray was still in bed and needed time to get to a computer. "I need you to track this vehicle- P162-YRG."

"_Alright hold on."_ Perhaps a minute passed when Ray returned to the phone. "_What was the number again_?"

"P162-YRG" Kurtis was getting agitated, this was taking much longer than he wanted.

"_Okay_" Ray let out another sigh. "_Looks like its parked just outside the Satellite nightclub just about 15 kilometers north of Bradford. Address is 673 Nottingham Avenue_."

Kurtis grabbed a pen and wrote the address down on the back of his hand. "Thanks, sorry again to call so late."

"_Eh_ _don't worry about it mate, the wife's got me making breakfast anyways._" He chuckled softly. "_Take care of yourself Kurtis_" the tone in his voice became stern and serious.

"I will, thanks again, bye" He closed his cell and sighed. _This is going to be a long night._

Kurtis's motorcycle tore through the driveway. Before he left, he made sure the front door was left open for the police.

* * *

Not more than a minute had passed since Vasiliev had left, when a tall blond man walked into the dark, cramped room. The light flooded in and Lara had to once again close her eyes.

"Lara" the voice seemed familiar. "Why do you do this to yourself?" He flipped on the light in the room.

"Alex?" Her expression growing in confusion.

He strode over to where she was tied and sitting in a _very _uncomfortable position. Pocket knife flipping out, he crouched down beside her and cut her restraints. Blood started to pump back into her delicate hands and she rubbed her wrists while glaring at Alex.

"What? No hug?" he flashed a wide grin. Alex stood up, turned around and picked up the water bottle near the door.

"Again Alex? I must say you've started to make quite a living for yourself, stealing, back stabbing- no threatening letters yet?" Sarcasm dripping off her words. She reached down to her legs, trying to untie the large knots. "I'm surprised you're not dead."

He turned and watched her untie herself. His blue eyes gleaming, a smile spread across his face. "You really should just tell him where it is. He won't give you the antidote until you tell him something. Here-" he handed her the bottle. She surveyed it carefully before opening it and quenching her parched throat with the cold water.

"And I suppose you want to me to trust you? Hah! Alex I almost forgot your sense of humor!" she watched him watch her.

"Well I could help you get out of here undetected, _if_ you would tell me where you put the Key." He walked around the chair and stopped right in front of Lara. She was now standing eye to eye with Alex. The closeness between their bodies ignited an intimate memory back into Lara's head. She could feel his slow breaths on her cheeks and his scent –the smell of soap and lavender- flooded her nostrils. They stood like that for a few seconds before they pushed against each other, lips mashing together. Lara's body protested when she pulled herself away from Alex's tasteful and teasing lips. Instead of releasing Lara from his strong grip, he just held her tighter, pulling her closer to himself. She looked into his ocean blue eyes and stood there, her mind trying to pull away but her body just wouldn't move.

She sighed, "I have it-" but she was cut off by the sound of the iron door creaking open. They flew apart, pushing away.

"Ah so I see you've already met Alex, Ms. Croft." Vasiliev stepped into the room and glanced at Alex. In pale his hands, he held a silver platter. It contained a small plate and what looked like a cup of tea. "You see Alex here is helping me track down the Jade Key. We've been watching you for some time now, oh say a couple of weeks. Alex himself even volunteered to take a few nights off and 'keep tabs' on you during the night." A tiny smile was forming on his face. "And when you ran off with _my_ prize - well it just wouldn't be right to let a thief get away with such a crime." He set down the platter on the small black table and stood between Lara and the door.

The air around her suddenly started to thicken, and she could feel her lungs heaving for fresh oxygen. Sudden pain would electrify through her body and then spontaneously stop. Her legs became heavy and her arms like jello. The room was swaying and her vision blurred. She felt like she'd been hit by a bus. With all her remaining strength, she looked up at Alex.

Then she fainted.

**Hehehe... i couldn't resist:) now i command you to press that little blue button to the left :D. thank you for the reviews! they are greatly appreciated! chapter 4 will be up soon!**


	4. English Nights

**alright my fellow readers... i FINALLY have this chapter up! a big thank you to Janelle Winter and Emily Hayes for being my "editorial" assistants! i love ya guys!  
This one is pretty long, purposely so you guys can have some more to read. anyways i DON'T OWN ANYTHING- except for Vasiliev. alright enough small talk here's the chapter!**

When Lara awoke, she found herself lying in a small yet very comfortable bed. Looking around she started to remember the events leading up to her collapse. She was still in the same room, but instead of just having a chair and a small table, it now also contained the bed she was laying on. Nearby were two small circular tables and a digital clock. However, what was peculiar about the clock was the fact that instead of gaining minutes, it kept on decreasing them. It read; 22:43.

Lara got up, rubbing the back of her head. _What the hell happened to me_? Suspiciously sitting on one of the tables was a small package. She walked up to it and opened the note placed on top.

_–Might as well enjoy your last 24 hours pleasantly. Put this on, we're going out tonight._

_-Alex_

A small smile formed on Lara's lips. She gazed at the mysterious package. Suspicion and curiosity took hold of her, and she gently ripped the brown cardboard material. Lara's expression progressed from curiosity to complete bewilderment. She held up the maroon-colored corset top. It was gracefully laced with Mahogany and Crimson ribbon. Ornate diamonds clung to the reddish fabric, twinkling in the dim light. _You've got to be kidding me_. She carefully placed the shimmering top down on the table. Looking at the remaining clothing items in the box, she pulled out a dark denim mini skirt. _Alex has quite the imagination_. She smiled to herself and glanced around. If this was going to be her only time out of this god forsaken cubical, she wasn't just about to pass up the opportunity to escape.

Lara hurried over the wall with the heavy door. With new clothes in hand, she slipped out of her current attire. The white button-down shirt and dark blue shorts came off, and Lara once again eyed the skirt and corset suspiciously. She drew in a deep breath and slipped into the new garments.

There was a quiet knock on the door, and then it creaked open.

"Hey, you ready? We've got to get going before the club closes down for the night." It was Alex; his deep voice filled the air.

"Yes," Lara stepped into the light. "Where are we going?"

He ignored her question. "Wow, Lara. I'm, speechless." He slightly chuckled.

Lara stared at Alex, shivers tickling up and down her spine. She glared at him, but with a hint of a smile accumulating on her lips. _You've got no idea what you're getting yourself into Alex._ As if she were a ballerina, she gracefully turned 360 degrees and strode over towards the door.

"Looking pretty good yourself Alex" she passed by him and stood by the open door. He took her by the hand and led her out into the corridor.

"Vasiliev owns this place, quite interesting from what I've heard." He glanced sideways at her. The movement reminded Lara of someone else. _Kurtis_.

Deep pounding music could be heard in the distance. As they made their way through the dim concrete corridors, Vasiliev stepped out from one of the other rooms and stopped, obstructing Alex's path.

"What do you think you're doing? She's in no condition to leave that room!" He spat at Alex. His cone-shaped baldhead was glowing red, and anger was evident in his voice.

"Hey, relax." Alex pressed his hand against his jacket, "If she runs, she won't go far." He winked at Vasiliev. "Plus, we wouldn't want such a famous guest to die bored now would we? Come on Lara." He nudged his head towards the exit.

Just as Alex and Lara were almost out of reach, Vasiliev yanked his arm out and grabbed Alex. "If she gets away, I will hold you fully responsible for her escape, understand?" he gritted his teeth "Do you understand?"

Alex turned his head to face him, sighed, and chuckled. He shook away the Russians' grip and continued making his way down the corridor and up the stairs with Lara.

* * *

The nightclub was packed with nocturnal beings. Benny Benassi's "_Illusion_" pounded through bodies like vibrating drums. The steady beat pumped through Lara's sick body. Occasionally random men would stare at her like some sort of object of lust. It disgusted her the way society had down graded itself.

"You wanna dance?" Alex watched her observe her surroundings. She stood so stiffly, it almost looked like she had stacks of books balancing on her head. "From the way you're standing I'd assume you have stick up your ass." He grinned, and Lara couldn't help but smile either.

She turned to face him; looked straight into his eyes and simply replied, "I'd love to dance with you"

Smiling he took her hand and led the way onto the crowded dance floor. Dancers we're grinding to the sensual hypnotic beat. Neon and strobe lights quickly flashed rhythmically to the music.

Alex turned around to face Lara. They both were getting sweaty; the heat from other dancers lingered around them. They moved together as one, first only dancing apart, but as the music pounded through their bodies they slid together. Lara wrapped her arm around his lean neck and pressed close. He shifted his muscled arms from her waist to her hips, and their bodies rocked together.

_Sometimes I wonder why,_

_We have no limits._

_Everything we do is timed,_

_To find out who we are._

As the music vibrated though their close bodies, an idea formed in Lara's mind. She turned around, facing away from him, and guided her toned arm up his chest and around his neck again. She smiled to herself as they continued dancing.

"Alex!" his name was being bellowed out. "Alex!" Lara turned her head in the calling direction. It was one of Vasiliev guards. Alex jerked his head to face the guard.

"What!" he growled. Turning to fully face the large man, he finally took his eyes off Lara.

"We found the Key; it's located in her estate." He paused, "Alex, she's useless now." The guard stared blankly at Alex.

_Now, you go now!_ Lara couldn't make herself move for a moment; it was like some other force was completely controlling her. She quickly glanced around, saw an exit sign and ran towards it for her life. The floor was crowded, so instead of going straight she zigzagged around to the bar, and then back towards the DJ booth.

Alex was still talking to guard. "Alright, I'll take care of it." He spun his head around. _That little bitch_. Lara was gone.

She was watching him, making sure he didn't see her. If anything she didn't want to get caught trying to escape. She seated herself on the bar stool facing Alex's direction. Lara enjoyed this little feeling of playing cat and mouse. Every time his line of site passed her, she would inch her way towards the exit.

Alex spun around, looking for Lara. It was like she just disappeared. He glanced at the bar, the stage, and the exits. Silently he cursed himself for being so oblivious. But something caught his eye, the glimmer of diamonds near the bar.

* * *

Kurtis's bike tore through the freezing, 3AM, autumn night. He was nearly there, perhaps only a few more kilometers. _God, I hope she's alright_. With the thought he pressed his bike harder exceeding the speed limit by at least 50. There were no cars on the road, nothing. Every thirty minutes he had passed a gas station, but even those seemed lifeless. It was so desolate that anyone could think they're entering a spiritless abyss. He could see the city by now. The small buildings glimmered in the night, casting a beautiful neon glow. In the distance, Kurtis was able to make out faint music.

* * *

Lara chuckled quietly as she strode towards the formidable bouncer that guarded the front door. _I can't believe how easy that was-,_ but as the thought fully wrapped itself around in her head, someone caught her arm.

"And where do you think you're heading?" Alex turned Lara around facing him.

_Bloody hell._ "It was getting really hot in there, I needed some fresh air." _Not_. She was hoping it sounded at least a little convincing.

"Oh, really? That's good; I was getting worried, thinking that you were trying to run." Sarcasms lingering, he tightened his grip on Lara's forearm. Lara stubbornly walked back into the crowded building following Alex.

"Sit." He shoved her into the barstool. "Drink?" She shook her head. "Oh come you're going to be dead in less then 24 hours and you refuse a drink?" He glared at her, "If you think you can just waltz out of here alive," he tipped his head, "you've got another thing coming."

"Can I get anything for you sir?"

"You sure can, SoCo-Lime for me, and for this fine lady-"

"Water on the rocks is fine." She interrupted.

Alex seated himself next to Lara. As he did, he couldn't help but eye her exposed legs. The wound in her left thigh seemed to have faded. He took a sip of his beverage and set it back down. The fast paced music beat through the speakers.

Lara finally broke their silence. "Why do you do this? For money? For pride? Why?" She didn't understand why she was reacting this way, but there was something that told her to in the back of her head.

"This? You mean the whole shebang? Well of course it's for money; Vasiliev's giving me £50 million for the Key, which we now know the location of if I may add."

"Oh your little puppets found it didn't they? Well you can tell Vasiliev that it's mine and I _will_ get it back from him." She held her drink in her hand, squeezing the cut lime into the cup then placing it in her mouth and sucking the rest of the juice out.

"Lara, exactly what do you know about the key?" His tone switched from irritation to complete curiosity. He leaned in close to her. "What it does, or can do?"

"Alex one thing I know for sure is that I had a job to do. I did it and got away. Why the hell you want that damn key so badly is not my problem, but what is," She glared at him, eyes narrowing. "Is the fact that _you're_ trying to kill me."

He scoffed, "Well like Vasiliev said. It's insurance."

That was it, something clicked inside of her and she threw herself at Alex. "Help me, help me get out of here. You already have the key; please get me out." She was practically leaning on his knees. Her hand wrapped around his neck. "Please Alex." She softly whispered into his ear.

"Lara," he gently touched her arm and brushed it. "You know I can't let you go. Vasiliev would kill me." He pulled away from her, just far enough so he could clearly see her beautiful face.

"Where's the antidote? Does Vasiliev have it?" She watched his eyes for some sort of answer. He shifted in his seat, obviously mentally deliberating whether to tell her its location.

He let out a soft sigh. "He has it in his office. Remember the room he came out of earlier right before we left? That's his office."

She brushed her lips against his ear, sending shivers through his body. Straddling his left knee, she kissed his soft neck, and then raised her head level to his. Their lips were millimeters apart. Lust and passion ignited in his ocean blue eyes. Lara's arm was still loosely hanging around Alex's neck. She slowly caressed his soft blonde hair while leaning into his ear again.

The music was building, its pace quickened and the speakers roared.

"I'm sorry." She whispered.

"For what?"

"For this-" she found the crown meridian pressure point on the back of his neck and forced her thumb hard into the soft cartilage. For a second he gripped her arm, but then suddenly slumped over. Lara stood up looking at him and then at the surprised bartender.

"He's had a little too much to drink." Her lips curved into a small smile. She turned and made her way back towards the exit.

"Hey! Stop her!" someone was bawling behind her. _Shit_. She started running towards the large metal doors, but the massive bouncer shoved his way through in front of her. He grabbed her neck, and Lara's instinctive response was to knee him hard in the groin. It took a few seconds for the pain to fully realize itself, and then he was down on the floor. She continued sprinting, her chest burning, when she finally flew out into the night. She glanced back and saw the men that were chasing her out of the building. She pushed herself harder until she reached the side alley.

"Lara?!" someone hollered from the motorbike parked on the other side of the street. She froze, and it took her a moment to realize who it was.

"Kurtis!" _Thank god_. She ran towards the bike with all her remaining strength. Kurtis glanced behind her and grabbed one of her pistols from his shoulder holster. "Here-" he threw the pistol to her, and she caught it flawlessly in mid air. Spinning around, she aimed the gun and fired in the direction of the guards. Instantly bullets hailed back, and both Lara and Kurtis jolted behind a large metal dumpster. Kurtis stood up, still under the protection large metal container, leaned out from the side of it and fired off seven shots at the guards. Moments later, low-pitched groans were heard. He glanced at Lara, who looked breathless and confused.

"Lara, we have to go-" he touched her arm and she yanked it back as if she touched something lethal.

Standing up she looked back and saw the guards lying in pools of blood. "How did you know I was here?"

"I'll explain all of this later; right now we need to get as far away from here as possible-"

His words drifted away to subconsciousness and all she could think about was the antidote that awaited her in Vaseliev's office. Her chest burned and she felt like puking. She coughed slightly, but then it turned violent and blood spilled from her lips. Her delicate hand wiped away the crimson liquid, but she fell against the dumpster. Kurtis darted to her side, catching her.

"God Lara, you okay?" he supported her weight as she wiped the excess blood.

"I'm fine- but I need to go back in to get something." She could barely speak. She checked her pistol and looked back at Kurtis. "Six minutes, I'll be back, I promise." Even with her current state, she was still able to cast a small smile.

Then she was gone, fading into the alley's darkness.

**well hopefully you enjoyed this chapter. hopefully i'll have the next chapter up sooner. review review REVIEW! click the button... you know you want to : )**


	5. The Escape

**Yes, I'm still writing : ) alright so this is a little holiday gift from me to my loyal readers who have been reading since the very beginning... i know this chapter is short, but actually this is only Part 1 of this huge chapter that i have written... and bunching this and the next chapter together would be like eating snails with chocolate. not very tasty... i don't own anything EXCEPT Vasiliev... that being said, here is Part One of "The Escape" Enjoy!**

Lara re-entered the nightclub cautiously, fully knowing that by now, Vasiliev knew she had escaped. The backdoor that led to the DJ booth was left open for fresh air to linger into the humid building. Lara drew her gun, and while glancing around, crept in through the unguarded door.

The atmosphere inside was unaffected by the pervious outbreak. Strobe lights flashed rhythmically to the music and heat from the other dancers seeped into her skin. Lara lowered her weapon as she eased into the crowd. Every few seconds she would glance back making sure she wasn't being followed. Making her way towards the back of the building, she gazed at the bar and to her surprise, Alex West wasn't there. _Bastard must have awoken._ She saw the narrow corridor that led back to where she first arrived 4 hours ago. Guarding that corridor was a heavyset bearded man. She approached him from his left, flashing a seductive smile. "Hey there, wanna dance?" He didn't have time to react when Lara swiftly raised her arm and slammed the side of the gun into his face. The unexpected blow fractured his nose and he instinctively threw his hands up towards his head. Lara quickly connected her foot to his gut and he stumbled backwards, tumbling down the small flight of stairs.

She looked around and entered the dim corridor, stepping over the unconscious body. The halls were dimly lit, and as Lara hurried through the corridors she began to feel like a mouse in a labyrinth.

Suddenly, voices echoed down the hall, and Lara swerved into one of the smaller rooms. She ducked inside and quietly closed the door hoping that the men outside didn't see her. She pressed her ear against the cold metal door, and listened for passing footsteps.

"She ran into the alley about five minutes ago sir, she couldn't have gotten too far." Lara heard a snarl and then the bellowing voice of Vasiliev.

"Where is Alex? Bring him to me." The frightened man turned briskly and started to walk away, but as he turned, Vasiliev grabbed his arm. "She's useless now, if you see her- kill her."

* * *

Kurtis stood in the alley, still stunned that Lara was alive. After he had seen Winston's body shredded in the kitchen, a fraction of his conscience believed that by the time he would reach Lara, she would be dead. He stood there, mentally arguing with himself. What could be so important to her that she needed to go back in and risk her life again? His blood boiled, _you're an idiot Trent, a goddamn idiot. You couldn't just yank her onto the bike and get her someplace where you know she'd be safe. _He looked down noticing the drops of blood on the ground and guilt filled his body. _A goddamn idiot._

* * *

Vasiliev passed the small cubic room that Lara was hiding in. She sucked in a deep breath and opened the door cautiously. The long hallway was now empty and Lara took the opportunity to head straight for Vasiliev's office. There were barely any men patrolling the corridor itself, so Lara's route was quick and swift. She turned into the large rectangular office and took in her surroundings. The room, more like a bunker, was quite large. A bulky wooden desk and a metal safe occupied a corner of the room. She stepped behind the worktable and started shifting through papers and photographs. Then, something caught her attention. She lifted the stack of papers to find an enhanced photo of the artifact that had caused this whole night to deteriorate, _The Jade Key. _She set her pistol down on the desk and crouched down to take a closer look at the safe._ Half inch solid steel door_, _steel locking bolts, combination lock- well this should be fun. _A tiny irresistible smile crept up on Lara's lips. She had done this hundreds of times before- museums, estates, homes, but never with the thought of knowing she was going to die unless she opened that godforsaken metal cube. Lara tucked a long strand of hair behind her ear and pressed it close to the safe. Slowly turning the knob to the right, she heard several soft clicks and then a much louder one. She let out a suppressed sigh, and then began to turn the knob to the left. 

"Miss. Croft- you'd think that you'd want to be as far away as possible from this little hell hole." Vasiliev stood at the door, leaning on the frame with his arms crossed. The expression on his face lingered with amusement.

Lara's eyes darted from the safe to the gun that lay on the desk. In an action that blurred the vision, the gun was in her hand and pointed directly as him. "Unlock it!" she yelled. She was surprised and yet frightened to see him, the adrenalin pumped harder as every second passed. "I said unlock it!" She fired off one shot to the right of his head. "Open it or I swear to god I'll put a fucking bullet in your head!" She couldn't control her anger; this wasn't her. Lara moved away from the desk, and with the gun still pointed at Vasiliev, she maneuvered towards him.

"You really must think too high of me if you thought I would just hand it over. What's the fun in that?" The smile that spread across his lips disgusted Lara. Throughout this little 'get together', his tone had been freakishly calm. It was as if he knew she would come back.

"Open it!" she pressed the gun to his left shoulder, and narrowed her eyes into thin slits. "You must think too kindly of me to think I wouldn't kill you." He softly chuckled, and the anger swept over Lara like a tsunami. The gun swiftly pointed down toward the floor and pain seared into Vasiliev's foot. He let out a sudden loud grunt and his breathing became heavier. "The next one's in your head." Gritting her teeth, she looked into his dark brown eyes.

Vasiliev released a another _deafening_ snarl caused by the bullet in his foot, and started to limp his way toward the safe. Slowly and cautiously he crouched down and began to turn the black knob. _Thirty-four… Twelve… Fifty-one…_ The small steel door hissed open. Inside lay two tiny bottles of black liquid and a silver semi-automatic. Lara stood near the doorway with the handgun still aimed at Vasiliev. He took out just one of the bottles and set it on the desk. The semi-automatic handgun now occupied his other hand. He suddenly roared and thrust his body upward. As quickly as Vasiliev had aimed the weapon and fired, Lara was just as quick to get out of the way. As Lara hit the hard floor she fired off two rounds in Vasiliev's direction. He ducked for cover, and Lara lunged towards the table grabbing the tiny glass vile. She rushed back towards the door and began sprinting down the narrow hallway.

"Fucking bitch!" Vasiliev gritted his teeth as he stood up. He shuffled to the doorframe and angled his gun at Lara's distancing body.

One, two, three shots echoed behind her. She screeched to a stop just around the corner that faced into the main dancehall. Jerking her hand up, she let her index finger squeeze the trigger.

Behind her, a guard stepped out into the hallway just as Lara was about to dash out and blend into the heated crowd. The gun was leveled at another being once again. However, instead of a roaring gunshot, the only sound that filled Lara's ears was the sound of the pistols' magazine clicking. _Shit._ She bolted and raced down the corridor, jumping over the guard she had subdued earlier.

Once she had slipped into the hypnotized crowd, she looked around. The backstage door was still open and Lara headed straight for it. Suddenly, people were screaming and yelling. Everyone pushed against each other trying to get out of the packed nightclub. That was when Lara heard the suppressed sound of gunshots. She hauled herself up onto the stage and ran towards the open door. The cold air outside greeted her with small specks of snow softly landing on her face. She could see Kurtis and his motorcycle parked on the other side of the alley. From this distance, she thought he looked so worried. He was pacing around the bike and kept checking his watch for the time. Reality hit Lara hard in the face when she remembered the dangerous men that were fallowing her.

Kurtis heard soft thudding footsteps approach him, and he instinctively grabbed the pistol from his shoulder hostler.

"Kurtis…start-" a whisper surfaced from the silent alley. "Kurtis…start…now!" he turned his body to the source of the whisper. "Kurtis, dammit, start the bike!" In the middle of the sentence, Lara appeared from the whisper.

"Jeez Lara, you scared the shit out of me." He holstered the gun and couldn't help but stare at her beautiful brown eyes.

"I didn't know I had that effect on you." She flashed a wide grin. "Look, they're still after me so let's continue this little 'chat' later shall we?"

"Here-" he took off his leather jacket and handed it to her. It was practically snowing outside and all she was wearing was a red corset and a skimpy denim skirt. She took it without a second thought. As she slid her arms into the warm jacket, she could still feel Kurtis' body heat absorbed in it. She hated to admit it, but at that moment she couldn't think of anything more blissful than being held in his powerful arms and to forget everything around her. A loud banging sound interrupted her thoughts. Kurtis and Lara could hear shouts coming from across the street. They both pounced onto the bike and let it rip through the silent alley.

**Alright, so what'd ya think? Review Review REVIEW! i don't know if this is any good if i don't get reviews : ) Thank you for everything and have an AWESOME HOLIDAY, AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!! (if i'm not able to update sooner... pretty sure i will though : )**


	6. Unexpected News

**Hey guys! Two chapters in a week! damn i'm good : ) alright so anyways, this chapter is a lot slower... you'll see what i mean. this is the last update before 2007 rolls around, so the next time we speak will be next year. once again i don't own anything, and reviews are greatly appreciated : ) HAVE AN AWESOME NEW YEARS!!!!! best regards from me to you guys and thank you again for reading! enough already! here is "Unexpected News"...**

She was tired, and Kurtis worried that the opposing weather wasn't doing her any good. Lara sat behind Kurtis as the motorcycle slashed through the freezing night. Her weak figure pressed against his heated body. Goosebumps rippled up her legs making her shiver. She wrapped her frail arms around him tighter, trying to soak up any heat she could.

"We need to stop somewhere, get some rest." Kurtis filled the nights' silence with his comforting voice. It was one Lara's vulnerabilities for him, his balance of kindness and perplexity. He knew how to be gentle but, yet there was always this dangerous side to him. He was a mystery, and Lara hadn't yet solved him.

She mumbled something into his back, apparently agreeing. "There's something I need to tell you." Kurtis softly whispered, turning his head towards Lara while still watching the road.

Lara was practically half asleep as she heard his murmur in front of her. His voice was soothing, almost like a river flowing peacefully down into a grassy valley. She could feel his rhythmic heartbeat thumping against her palms, and his breathing was slow and calm. She felt safe with him, but there was something that she couldn't quite put her finger on. She didn't really trust him. Something about him, perhaps it was the fact that he just showed up last night at the museum when she hadn't seen him for almost four years. She didn't push it, but instead mentally noted to ask him about his sudden appearance later. Lara rested her head on Kurtis' shoulder, hiding her drowsy face in his jacket. She didn't reply to Kurtis' statement, rather she closed her eyes and let the cradling of the motorcycle, and his body heat, drift her into the light sleep she had been deprived of for so long.

Kurtis couldn't stop thinking about her. Her sweet scent and those dark gorgeous eyes made him want to stare at her and take in everything she was. Lara's body pressed close to his, and all he could think about was all the things he could do it. Caress every curve, and kiss away all of her pain as his hands would rove over Lara's toned physique. Kurtis snapped back from his reverie and sighed as he turned into a small secluded hotel.

Lara awoke when she felt the motorcycle stop. Kurtis killed the engine and gently shook Lara off his shoulder. He stood up and gazed at her- the jacket he had given Lara looked so large on her, the sleeves hung loosely below her hands. She looked more like a young child dressed up in her parents' clothing. She yawned and looked up at him. "What?"

"Nothing" he replied and smiled. "C'mon, let's see if they have room for two more."

She raised her arms and stretched. What little sleep she had gotten was enough to wake her and remind her of the nights' events. She slid off the bike and stepped on the gravel with her bare feet. Lara had dismissed the shoes that Alex had given her for the night; skinny turquoise satin heels were not the best kind of footwear for running. The paved ground under her feet was cold and she quickly tip-toed into the lobby with Kurtis ahead of her.

The woman behind the reception desk was quite tall, her wavy blond hair reached below her shoulders. She was doing some sort of paperwork and was surprised to see anyone checking in at 4 in the morning. "Hello, checking in?" she raised an eyebrow at Lara who was wearing an oversized leather jacket, a corset and a short skirt.

Kurtis stepped into her line of vision and replied "Yeah, two queen rooms. I'd prefer the first floor if you have any available there." He added.

"Alright, and how long are you planning on staying with us?"

"Just the night, thanks." He winked at her and she handed him two room keys that had fake-gold embedded in them displaying the room number.

* * *

Lara shoved her key into the lock forcefully. Finally after the third attempt she was able to get inside. Kurtis fallowed her in and flicked on the light switch. "Not bad, kind of cozy if you ask me." Lara turned her head towards him and smiled. He walked around inspecting the room of anything that shouldn't be there. She plopped on the bed, and then immediately regretted it as the scent of an unwashed comforter filled her nostrils. Kurtis sat down next to her, and stared at the floor. "Listen, something happened back at the Manor…" his words drifted off."I think you ought to know before it's announced on the news." 

She raised her head and sat up with him. "What? What happened?" concern filled her voice.

"Last night, when you were taken, they left a message." He glanced up from the floor and looked into her deep brown eyes. The look on his face was filled with sorrow and Lara didn't understand. "Winston, they- I don't know why, there was no reason to." He shook his head. "They slaughtered him like an animal." She stared at Kurtis and let the information process. Lara stood up, and turned to face him.

"They killed him? But Winston had nothing to do with this!" she raised her voice and croaked at him.

He got to his feet and simply answered "I'm sorry Lara." Then he left the room leaving Lara standing in her room confused, hurt and angry.

* * *

She didn't know how to react. Her stomach filled with lead and she felt numb and completely alone. Lara walked into the dark bathroom and looked at herself in the mirror. She looked more like dead person than an alive human being. In the reflection she saw the blue checkered shower and turned around to bring it to life. Her thoughts kept shuffling everything. Images of memories would suddenly appear and then fly away. One memory in particular flashed in front of her and stayed there. It was Winston and her at the Manor. Lara was ten years old and Winston tried to teach her how to plant a flower properly. She sighed of boredom and stood up. "Winston, planting flowers is boring, isn't there something more interesting we could do?" He chuckled and slowly got up as well. 

"Well Lara, either we plant flowers or we can make some tea." He smiled at her and she slumped her shoulders and whined.

"Please Winston" her brown eyes sparkled. She reached up and cupped her hand around his ear. "I promise I won't tell daddy we went hunting." She was beaming, hoping that he would give in.

Winston smiled and shook his head. "Alright Lara, just this once." She took his hand and being tugging on his arm.

"C'mon, can't you go any faster!" She giggled and then the two of them walked away into the distance.

Lara turned her head away, hurt by something that wasn't even there. The bathroom now was filled with steam, and Lara undressed and stepped under the hot relaxing water. She began to wash her hair, lathering her long auburn lock with hotel shampoo. The room quickly filled with the scent of lilies, roses and apricots. Lara let the warm water run over her exhausted body. She felt so alone, missing a part of herself; everything had been taken from her. After her father's death, Lara's life had become so different. She was sixteen when he died. Lara had stayed with Winston until she turned eighteen, one of her distant aunts decided that Lara was too young to take care of a home of that size. On her eighteenth birthday she got a letter from a local law firm. It informed her that in her fathers' will he stated that Croft Manor was to be inherited by Miss. Lara Croft.

She let the water wash away the dirt and the pain. Lara could feel her eyes brimming with tears, all the pent up frustration and anguish she had endured finally gave way. For the first time since her fathers' death, she cried. Lara slid down onto the tiled floor and allowed the salty hot tears to roll down her red cheeks. She wrapped one hand around her knees and the other she lifted up towards her head. Silently, the tears dropped and splattered onto the floor, mixing with the hot water and finally swirling down into the drain. She didn't want to cry, didn't want Vasiliev to win. One thing she knew for sure though, he was going to pay.

* * *

Kurtis laid down on the bed and flicked on the television. Flipping through random channels he kept thinking about Lara. He wasn't sure that telling her tonight what happened was such a great idea. He just wanted to hold her, soak up all the pain and suffering, and take it all away. Kurtis knew how it felt; his entire family was murdered by a psychopath that wanted to revive an ancient race and destroy every human being on earth. He understood the emotional agony she must have been going through, but the thoughts of her misery made him feel even worse. He let out an agitated sigh and got off the bed. Kurtis looked out the window, the streets were completely deserted. There were a few cars in the parking lot, one which occupied a man. He kept staring at that car; the man inside of it looked like he suddenly had to put something away. _Press is gonna have a field day with this…_ His thoughts of newspaper headings signifying a murder at Croft Manor made him sick. It was then when he looked at the clock on the table and realized that it was almost five AM. They had checked in at least forty-five minutes ago and he could hear the shower still running. Lara's imaged flashed in his mind, and he walked out into the hallway, knocking on her door. "Lara? Its Kurtis, I'm coming in." He hovered his hand over the lock, flicked his index finger and the door unlocked. 

Her bathroom door was open and light poured into the dark hotel room. "Lara? Hey you okay?" He stepped into the bathroom only to find Lara naked and huddled in the bathtub sobbing.

The site of Kurtis didn't bother Lara at all. She was too numb to even feel awkward. He grabbed a white cotton towel and walk towards her. The water that drenched her skin had become lukewarm and Kurtis completely turned off the shower. He crouched down beside Lara, and placed the towel over her. Trying to comfort her he kept repeating the words "It'll be okay, it's alright." She looked up at him and felt her heart ache. "Hey, it's gonna be alright." He tucked a strand of wet hair behind her ear. Then he bent down and lifted her out of tub. She wrapped her arms around his lean neck, holding onto him, savoring this memory. She didn't want to let him go in fear of losing him as well. She rubbed her tears on his t-shirt, and as he set her down on the bed she wanted to reach out to him and ask him to stay with her. Kurtis laid Lara into bed, tucking the comforter around her. He saw the tears that slid down her face and bent down and kissed them. "It'll be alright, I promise." He lightly squeezed her hand and kissed her forehead.

Kurtis stayed with Lara until she fell asleep. He watched her dream; she looked so different when she wasn't killing people, so peaceful and calm. He still held her hand and lightly brushed his lips against her fingers. "I promise."

**I hope you enjoyed that, i couldn't resist on a little bit of romance : ) Happy New Year and REVIEW: ) a big hug from me to you guys! merci beaucoup!**


	7. Explanations

**hello everyone! a big thanks to Team-Chaser, Lemmie666, BlackAngels, and HeartBrokenMya for reviewing, it means so much to me that people _actually_ read this! thank you! anyways this is chapter 7, a bit different from my usual "suspenseful" chapters. there is a little part in here that might not exactly be suitable for everyone, but hopefully you all are mature enough to handle it : ) hope you all had an awesome new years, and the only thing i own is Vasiliev. here's "Explanations"...**

Lara awoke with a slight tickle in her nose. She raised a hand toward her head, touching her forehead and yawning. Rubbing her nose she felt something warm above her lips. Slowly lifting long fingers away, she had to blink twice to recognize exactly what she was staring at. In shock, Lara's eye's widened as the crimson blood on her fingers slithered down her hand. She jolted awake. _Shit, the antidote! _Still naked, Lara hopped out of bed and raced to the bathroom looking down at the floor, searching for the clothes she had placed last night. Her attire wasn't in the ceramic room; she glanced at the mirror above and did a double take. The blood was not only on her lips but had also run down along her neck and seemed to have stopped just above her collar bone. Lara grabbed a roll of toilet paper and began to wipe it away. Through the corner of her eye she got a glimpse of shimmer, and turned her head to find her corset and skirt placed neatly on top of a coffee table. Her efforts for removing the blood were forgotten, and she pounced onto her clothing, desperately searching for the black vile. Sifting through pockets she finally was able to locate it. The black fluid floated carelessly inside, and silver streaks mixed with the ebony liquid, illuminating a metallic shine.

Helplessly, she stared at the glass tube, deliberating if she should take her chances on lead-looking material. _This better work. _Lara yanked off the cap and sniffed the top. The scent that filtered through her nose was horrendous, similar to the smell of road kill. She had to turn her head away as nausea swept over her. Lara glared at the bottle, thought of the consequences one more time, and made the decision to drink it. Whatever was really in the bottle, she didn't know. She did know for a fact that she had never before tasted something so disgusting in her life. The tinge of sourness and how thick the fluid was made her want to gag. She took the vile with her to the checkered bathroom and filled it up with water, downing the loathsome pudgy taste with cold H2O.

A few loud knocks erupted from the hallway. "Lara? You awake?"

"Yeah, give me a minute." Her reflection in the mirror cast back an image of a woman who was sick and definitely tired. She walked back towards her clothing, when she noticed a black t-shirt and a note placed on top, clearly near her garments. _Thought you could use this. _A little signature smiley face stared back at her and she grinned. Hurriedly, she threw on Kurtis' shirt and eased into last nights' denim mini. As she made her way to the door she couldn't help but think, _what is it with men and notes?_

Kurtis stood at the doorway, holding two "Thank You" bags. The door in front of him flew open and Lara stepped out. "Morning." she smiled and looked down at the plastic sacks. "Food, perhaps?"

"Yeah, thought you might be hungry. I got Chinese." He lifted the bag up and swished the delicious food in front of her face. "Getting cold." He flashed his adorable smirk and walked inside past her. Lara could hear her stomach growling, though growling would be an understatement.

She closed the door behind her and sat down across Kurtis on the unmade bed. "Nothing like Chinese at ten in the morning." He chuckled and began to unpack the savory goods.

"Well, it was either this or bacterial infested peanuts from the bar a few blocks down." Lara laughed while trying hard not to choke on her morning coffee. He grinned and handed her a styrofoam container with the black fork on top.

"Sleep well?" Kurtis had propped himself on his right elbow, while slurping some noodles into his mouth.

"Yes…" She paused catching his gaze. "Look, about last night-"

"Don't worry about it." He interrupted. There was a quiet stillness between them, each eating and thinking of what to say next. Kurtis was the one who broke their silence first. "My shirt looks nice on you." He hiked up an eyebrow. _Would love to see what's underneath it. _

Lara saw right through him, as if reading his mind she glared at him, and chucked a dumpling at his head.

"Hey! That's not very proper for a lady."

"Yes, well staring at my breasts isn't very polite either." She placed a spoonful of rice into her mouth and chewed. He didn't even deny it! She secretly smiled inside, triumphant of winning the pointless argument. Kurtis put down his food on the bed and looked at Lara. She sat upright with her long legs crossed over each other. Her unbraided hair, something he hadn't yet seen of hers, was loosely curled around her neck. A stray strand fell over her eyes and she tucked it behind her left ear. An image flickered in his mind- the two of them passionately rocking bodies, pressing close and neither letting go of the other as the blissful release engulfed them both. Hearing Lara's voice, he snapped back into the real world.

"Are you ever going to explain to me why you were at the museum last night?" Lara had seen him watch her, but ignored it. She placed her plate down on a near coffee table. "And no 'I wanted to thank you' lies" She added.

Kurtis looked around, trying to avoid the subject. "It's like you're living in a cave Lara." He got off the bed and walked up to the flowered curtains. He shoved them apart, spilling sunlight into the hotel room. "Much better, I can actually see you!" He kept searching for something to look at, other that Lara's determined glare.

"Tell me, or I'll have to force you to explain." Mischief sparked in her eyes.

"Well then you're just going to have to force me." He played along, trying to figure out what she was thinking. He strode over to the bed and was just about to pick up his food when Lara pulled him down onto the mattress. Lust ignited in his ocean blue eyes. He leaned back on his elbows as Lara crawled on her hands and knees over him, her sultry hair skimming his arms and chest.

"Tell me Kurtis Trent, why were you at the museum last night?" She straddled him, as his hands slid up her thighs, and slipped under her shirt. "Uh-uh" she waved her index finger and caught his wanting hands. "Tell me first."

Kurtis' mind filled with so many thoughts, but only one stood out clearly to him. A lusty sigh escaped his lips, "And if I don't?" He raised an eyebrow.

"Oh you will." Lara shoved him down completely and bent down and began to kiss his jaw, making her way down his neck and parts of his chest. She had to admit, he had a killer body. His hands kept reaching for her, anywhere, just to be able to touch her. Lara made sure he wasn't able to connect with her sensitive skin. She pinned his arms down to his sides and slid up his body again. Kurtis was losing his mind; his mental state was completely fogged by desire. He fought within himself just to stay in control. She brushed her lips against his nose, leaned towards his ear and softly nibbled. That was it; he lost his restraint and grabbed her waist pressing her closer to him. Now, only their clothing was in between them, keeping them from going any further. Lara gasped at the sudden contact. Kurtis placed slow burning kisses on her shoulders and neck, and Lara moaned out of pure pleasure. _No, I can't... but…oh, god. _She pushed herself up determined to get what she wanted, _he's not getting it this easily._ She sat up, Kurtis under her and not willing to let her go. Lara grabbed his hands again and held them down with her knees. Then with her free hands, she bunched up his undershirt and pulled it upward. The large scar on his left side looked tender, and compared with the rest of his torso, much pinker. She kissed the delicate skin and looked up at Kurtis, who shivered at her touch. She slowly eased her way down, lower, zigzagging across the line of dark thin hair. His muscles began to contract and Lara was surprised to hear him give up so easily.

"Alright!" He gritted his teeth and refused to let another groan escape. Lara grinned and reached over Kurtis' shoulder.

"Oh there it is!" She picked out a cold dumpling from his meal, placed it in her mouth and smiled coldly. Then, she simply rolled off him and seated herself in an arm chair facing Kurtis.

Kurtis slid to the edge of the bed and shook his head. "Sex is _not_ a fair way to manipulate me."

"Worked, didn't it?" Lara crossed her legs and leaned forward. "Now, are you going to tell me?" Her voice was stern. She wasn't planning on physically hurting him, but if it came to it…

"Nikolai Vasiliev owns that museum, as I'm sure you already know. His colleges recently located a mythical artifact called The Jade Key in Tibet. Last night, he held a world wide convention, which I believe I saw you at." Kurtis took something out of his back pocket and held it out in front of her; a simple black and white photo of herself chatting with a stranger from last night. He dropped it on her lap and continued. "But what you might have not realized, or known, was the fact that it was not an archeological convention as so many had thought." He paused, rethinking his next sentence. "Vasiliev is linked to the Russian mafia, noted as quite the drug lord, and his 'convention' last night was actually a meeting with many of his fellow dealers." Kurtis stopped, noticing the shocked look on Lara's face. She blinked away her confusion.

"And how do you exactly know all of this? Better yet, why the hell were you following me later that night when I took the Key?"

"I'm getting to it. You, my dear, have been quite the busy bee; theft, assault, forgery. Last year when you stole Van Gogh's second portrait of Dr. Gadget, from a lovely Madame Ecklund, our agency was in frenzy. Not only had the painting been found after nearly 120 years of being missing, but it was stolen _again _only 2 weeks after its' auction to her." The hint of a smile tugged on his lips. "No one had absolutely any idea who could've done it. Well, no one except for me that is."

"Are you accusing me of stealing a Van Gogh? This is absurd!" She tried her best to camouflage her worry.

"Perhaps… we don't have any hard evidence against you, but seeing last night's theft, I'm pretty sure my verdict is correct." He got a glimpse of uneasiness and noticed that Lara's hands where trembling. "But no worries Croft, that's not why I was following you. I wanted to watch you work; see how the Key tempted you until you had it in your own hands. Its display though, did trigger an interest back home-"

"Who is 'we' Kurtis? Who the hell are you working for?!" She yelled at him, fueled by confusion and distrust. He deeply sighed and turned to fully face her.

"I work for the CIA. It was not you we were following, it was the Key and Vasiliev."

It took Lara a few long seconds to register what Kurtis had just old her. "Kurtis Trent, Demon Hunter, working for the CIA." She chuckled harshly. "Bullshit."

"You can either trust me, or get your own ass arrested for misconduct against an officer."

"Are you blackmailing me? Because if you are, I might as well kill you right now. I have things to do and people to take care of, you get in my way, and you'll be one of them." She snapped at Kurtis, stood up and began to pace the room. After several long muted moments, she turned to him. "What does the CIA want with Vasiliev?"

"As I said before, he's linked in with the mafia." He took a long pause, "in 92, he literally took a coup de taut of his fathers' archeology foundation. His father 'mysteriously' disappeared the same day, never to be heard from again. We've been tracking his records for months now; the list of crimes would go on for pages. Our only problem is that he knows how to keep clean, everything he does is done by someone else. By the time we get to the accused, they've wound up beheaded in some ditch. This Jade Key could be the perfect way to bring the bastard down."

"Kurtis, do you know why he wants the Key?" He began to say something, but Lara cut him off. "During the Middle Ages, a peasant had approached the Vatican; trying to convince the Pope that the item he held in his hand had the power to reveal anyone's fate. Pope Clement II, mocked the man, but it was his curiosity that made him want to see his future. Upon seeing his own death in a blurred image, the Pope demanded the Key be taken to a place so far and unknown, that absolutely no one would be able to recover it. However, someone did recover it. Towards the end the Second World War, a Portuguese archeologist named José Tavares Silva found an intricate _jade_ artifact, in the shape of a pentagon, nearly 50 kilometer north of Lisbon. He had no idea what great power the item held. Unfortunately, a few years after his discovery he died in a plane crash heading to Beijing, taking the Jade Key with him." Lara walked to her hotel room door, bent down and picked up the newspaper that lay on the floor. She opened the paper, folded it and handed it to Kurtis. "This is the Key" she pointed to a colored photo that captured a five-sided green item locked in a glass case. "José's plane crashed in Tibet, where recently Vasiliev was able to locate the Key and throw it on display." She sat down on the bed and sighed. "The thing is, nobody is able to figure out how to make the Key work. There must have been some sort of saying or chant that was lost with the bearer. What worries me," She looked up at Kurtis, "Vasiliev knows how, and will use it."

He stared blankly at Lara, totally confused and curious at the same time. "So what you're saying is that if he gets his hands on the Key, then pretty much modern religion as we know it will be screwed?"

"Not entirely with that term, but yes, definitely change people's beliefs." Lara paused for a while and then continued. "Many religions state that god has some sort of plan for their believers. That's part of the reason why people do not go to psychics; some believe that it's not in gods will to see your destiny. So by seeing your future you're able to change your fate, therefore ruining gods' great scheme, also showing that you have no faith in the Almighty. If Vasiliev is able to make it work, then he would be able to create a completely different religion, making all others insignificant and giving him the power to exploit his followers at his own will."

"Jesus Christ." Kurtis ran a hand through his hair. "Well you've got the damn thing, right?"

"_Had_, he somehow was able to find it in the Manor."

He tilted his head back and sighed skeptically then walked towards the window on the other side of the room.

Lara watched him pass by her in silence, "Kurtis we have to the Key back-"

"Yeah, I was thinking the same thing doll, but right now," he jerked his head in Lara's direction, "we've got some company."

Four men were traversing the parking lot, each carrying black handguns equipped with silencers.

**: ) i know, i know... another cliffhanger! but don't worry i'll have the next chapter up soon. so i hope you enjoyed this 'little' (hah who am i kidding) chapter**, **and** **you're excited enough to review :D reviews also make me write faster hint hint see you all soon! thank you!**


	8. Chasing Cars

**Hello everyone, thank you NFI, BlackAngels, HeartbrokenMya, and EmDeSea for you're great reviews! Alright well this chapter is the longest one I have written, but hopefully it's just as good as the others. I already have the ending in my head, but I refuse to write it down until I actually get to it. Anyways, enough rambling and chit-chat, here is the newest chapter to "Making Up Lost Time"...**

Four suited men were walking across the hotel parking lot. Three of them separated and surrounded the building; the other strode over to Kurtis' bike, making it impossible for Lara and Kurtis to reach it. The morning wind was picking up, causing some stray branches to scratch against the buildings' thin windows.

"What?" By the time Lara had gotten to the window, Kurtis had already rushed to his room and collected his belongings. She watched the men disperse and walk in different directions. Lara felt her stomach drop to floor, the same sickening feeling she got every time she had to run from someone, or something. She quickly grabbed her things, and stuffed them into one of the plastic bags that had come with food. Muffled footsteps were approaching her door. Instinctively, she pounced onto her deadly steal weapons, not knowing if they held any ammunition. Then, the terrifying sound abruptly stopped in front of her white wooden door, and she knew, at that exact moment, what might happen. _Kurtis! Where the hell are you! _Loud knocks echoed into her room, making Lara jump slightly. She could imagine the room shrinking around her, the air thinning, and reminding her of the daunting experience in Egypt that had nearly taken her life. But something had forced her to move, and she childishly hid in the corner, right behind the door with her guns at her sides.

Suddenly, the entrance blew out of its hinges in front of her. She watched in surprise as Kurtis and the dangerous stranger rolled into her room, grunting and wrestling for the black weapon that the assassin held. The gun slid out of the man's tight grip and Lara snatched it up from the floor and pointed it directly at the unwanted guests' head. But before she could fire, a sudden loud crack erupted from his neck, and his figure went limp. Kurtis slowly moved his hands away from the body, only to return to it a second later to search the man for any identification. Neither of them said a word to each other, only nodded and proceeded into the main hallway with their steel guns pointed out in front of them.

"Someone was bound to hear the door smash in; we should go through the back. There are a couple of cars out there that need some borrowing." Kurtis whispered to Lara, and winked. "Good thing we have a thief."

Lara glared at Kurtis. So what if she stole art for the thrill of it. It's not like he was some angel sent from the heavens, either. She nodded her head in agreement and they slowly maneuvered towards the back of the building; quietly moving through the emergency exit. Lara stuck her head out first, and then swiftly retreated back into the hotel.

"There's a man up ahead, he's facing the road so I'll be able to take care of him. _You_ find us a bloody car." With an annoyed expression, she crept through the door and cautiously tip-toed towards the oblivious assassin. Lara accidentally brushed a small stone with her foot and froze instantly as the man turned his head to investigate the noise. In a split second decision, she extended her leg into the air, forcing her foot against the terrified man's neck while backing him into the cement wall. "Did Vasiliev send you?" She was trying to keep her frustrated voice low, questioning her victim before the man would die from suffocation. She increased the pressure on his neck, "Didhe send you or not?!" A gurgling mumble escaped from the mans' lips while he desperately clawed at her foot, trying to break free and inhale any possible air. With no other choice, he violently nodded and Lara released him, watching as he clasped his neck and began to breathe again. He yanked his pistol out from the shoulder holster and was about to fire it at Lara, but she swiftly turned and crashed her fist down into the back of his skull. _Ow_. She walked away shaking out her hand in pain.

Kurtis had chosen his prey wisely. The ebony Jeep Wrangler sat innocently in a corner of the spiritless parking lot. As though a lion, he stalked his target, watching it intently and while walking up to the drivers' seat, guided his hand along the newly polished hood. He glanced at his guarded love- the beautiful motorcycle seemed so distant, parting with it was something Kurtis had never imagined. Replacing his bike with a new transportation vehicle would be like cheating on his betrothed. He simply could not do it. But, it had to be done, and while sighing, he elbowed the drivers' window making the glass shatter into hundreds of little pieces. Soft leather seats greeted him as he swung the door open and yanked out a selection of colorful wires below the steering wheel. With a wide grin, he groped his pockets, then reached into one and produced a switchblade. Kurtis sliced the slender flexible metal and began to lightly tap each end against the other making the wires spark to life. On the eighth attempt, he was finally able to ignite the engine. The vehicle swerved out of the parking spot screeching to a halt mere feet from Lara. "Need a lift?" He leaned against the wheel and smiled.

Lara eyed the Jeep and couldn't help but laugh. Shaking her head in amusement and chuckling, she hopped into the car, slamming the door a bit too harshly. Their tires screamed as they sped off onto the main road.

"Is stealing cars part of the job description?" Lara curiously questioned Kurtis. He beamed and shifted gears, increasing their speed.

"I used to do it before I joined the Legion. It was a good way to get some fast cash," He turned to face her, "but I ended up doing time for about 6 months when I took this old bastards' Mercedes in Boston. After that I dropped the whole ordeal, decided I should do something more productive with my life, escape the demons that kept haunting me." He snickered while blankly staring at the pavement ahead and continued, "After Prague, I went back home pretty much paranoid. Everything had become suspicious to me, even the most unintentional things, the mailman for example." He smirked and shook his head. "That's probably what got me into the job. Some asshole had been following me for days, tracking my credit-card numbers, the places I was going, who I was friends with, everything. I remember shoving the guy against the wall of my apartment, furious that I had been pursued. He explained to me that he worked with the CIA; apparently you were a suspect for the Van Gogh theft. They said they needed someone who knew you, knew how you worked, and knew your tactics. I thought it was a good idea at the time, thought that maybe you'd be excited in seeing me again." The sarcastic arrogance in his voice was unmistakable. "So that's really it, now I'm here with you in this stolen Jeep."

"Hm, and I thought you just wanted to see me." She turned her head, gazing out the window into the beautiful country-side horizon.

Kurtis sensed some bitterness in her voice but didn't push it. They had been heading south, riding out many silent miles together. Other cars had passed them by carelessly; sluggishly heading towards more over-populated cities.

A large delivery truck had changed lanes behind Lara and Kurtis, revealing two black SUV's. Kurtis immediately noticed how out of place the vehicles looked, and watched them cautiously through his rearview mirror. "Think those are Vasilievs'?" He motioned his head to the mirror, and Lara glanced back realizing they were once again running from their killers.

The Jeep suddenly accelerated, inertia causing Lara to be pulled back against her seat. They weaved through traffic, almost disastrously crashing into oncoming cars. The two alloyed hunters behind them were hot on their heels, spreading out and taking up the two lanes, purposely to block off any other traffic that might interfere with their task. The slow paced car in front of them was obviously not going to speed up, so Kurtis was forced to turn into the dirt side road and pass the tortoise-like vehicle. Lara shuffled through the contents of her bag and pulled out her handguns. Sunlight reflected off the cold steel, giving a sense of holiness to them. She slid out the magazine and checked the cartridge.

Kurtis watched her movements while speeding frantically. The sound of bullets ricocheting off metal made both of them duck instinctively. Lara slid half of her body out of the cars' window, positioned her weapon and fired back, aiming for the tires. A stray bullet caught the back wheel of one of the advancing SUVs' and it skid out of control, spinning 180 degrees and flipping onto its side. She recoiled back into the car for a quick moment, "One down, one more to go." A victorious smile spread across her lips.

"Make that three. This guy really wants you dead, huh?" He turned to her and smirked. "Well since I'm in this car, and I'm in no mood to die, I think we've come to the conclusion that Vasiliev will have to wait for a better opportunity to kill you, one in which I am not present. Sound good?" He changed gears, the engine roared to break free of its steel chamber.

Two more of Vasilievs' hell-sent trucks were slowing down ahead, boxing in the stolen Jeep. They we're nearing a bridge that was under construction, orange yield signs were commanding drivers to slow down. The GMC automobiles in front of them we're closing in, one ahead of the other and filling up both lanes. Kurtis' Jeep was now cornered; the last metal monstrosity had filed up behind them. All four vehicles we're racing to the bridge in constant momentum. Kurtis' adrenalin was pumping, the hair on the back of his neck stood straight up. He yanked on his seatbelt, fastened it with a free hand and glanced at his rearview mirror. _Common Trent, think dammit! _By then, they had passed the ramp that guided them onto the bridge.

The charcoal truck was now parallel to the Jeep. Its tinted automatic windows lowered and exposed a man pointing a M16 rifle directly at Kurtis. "Get down!" Kurtis threw an arm at Lara and was just fast enough to shove her down when the passengers' window exploded, scattering tiny pieces of glass over Lara's hunched frame. Out of pure impulse, Kurtis bolted upright, snatched the pistol from Lara's hand and discharged several rounds at his assassins while keeping consistent speed.

The bridge was narrowing before them; both sides of the road were now surrounded by flowing water. Seeing the consequences in her head, Lara leaped into action, grabbing Kurtis' arm and screaming.

"No!" Just as the sound had reached his ears, he realized this was not his most brilliant idea. The driver of the onyx SUV unexpectedly jerked forward, disclosed the bullet wound in his head, and sent the car into turmoil. His companion dived for the wheel and tried to regain the vehicles' composure. At his failed attempts, Kurtis and Lara watched in horror as the truck lurched toward them and collided with their Jeep.

Within moments, Kurtis had lost control of his abducted car. It skidded right and left, not knowing which direction was meant to be their final destination. The only space for the Jeep to stop was off the road, in the river. With no warning, it wheeled to the left and launched itself off the bridge and into the crisp autumn air.

It was as if time itself had slowed. The airborne Jeeps' tires spun freely thirty feet above the river, finally liberated from its' paved destiny. This was the exact vision Lara had seen seconds before Kurtis had fired the weapon; both of them gazing in terror as the opaque river drew closer and closer until it plunged into the unsanitary water. The instant the Jeep hit the water, its' windshield snapped under the pressure and water poured into the car.

Lara was thrown against the dashboard, she could hear her ribs splitting as she collided with the hard interior. She screwed her eyes shut from the excruciating pain and tried to force the agony to the back of her mind. The car was filling with water faster than Lara could comprehend, so she forced her battered body upward and sucked in a deep breath before the freezing liquid engulfed her entirely. Pushing herself out of the wrecked vehicle, she swam up toward the surface with all her strength.

* * *

A young girl was approaching him, her ocean blue eyes gleaming with joy. She giggled and began to run away, looking back at him with a motivating expression. Everything around him was white; the ivory ground was soft under his feet. He held up his hands to observe them in curiosity only to find they were faint in color and almost transparent. _Am I dead?_

"Kurtis!" The girl called to him playfully. He looked up and willingly chased after her.

"Abigail... Abigail!" A familiar woman's voice filled the magnolia silence. "Abigail, your dinner is getting cold!" The little girl turned to the calling direction and looked back at him. Then she smiled, ran off and faded into the misty environment, leaving Kurtis the only spirit in the white atmosphere.

* * *

Lara gasped as she broke the surface. Small parts of metal were still descending from the bridge. She casually floated in the water, clutching her side and gritting her teeth. Kurtis had not yet surfaced, when Lara remembered the cringing image of him slamming his head into the dense steering wheel. She drew in another deep breath and dove back under. She could barely see anything; her fingers almost nonexistent to her vision in the caliginous water. The faltering feeling of small air bubbles rising was her only guidance back to the submerged vehicle.

Using her sense of touch to locate the sinking SUV, she began to lose hope in finding Kurtis. It must have been more than a couple of minutes he had been unconscious and underwater, and if she didn't get to him soon, he would most likely settle at the bottom of the river with the Jeep.

Suddenly something fluttered in her hand, and Lara intuitively shrunk her arm back, hitting it against cold metal. Realizing she must have reached the car, she extended her hand and felt the soft sensation of hair drifting in between her long fingers. She blindly felt the figure in front of her and detected that the seatbelt had done a wondrous job of strapping Kurtis into the seat. Though it might have saved his life on impact, it wasn't doing much good at the moment, instead trapping him inside the steel container. Lara moved around the drivers' chair, trying to figure out a way to haul him out of the Jeep. She found the belt locked into its' latch and vigorously tried to wrench the woven polyester apart. A sharp sting emitted from her wrist and she could feel a pointed object jutting out from the dashboard. The switchblade that Kurtis had used to start the car was nailed into the steering wheel, its dark rubber grip poking her hand. She tugged on the knife, stuck it in her mouth and began to feel around for Kurtis' neck. Despite not being able to see anything in the darkness she imagined the vision in her mind. Lara severed the seatbelt near his head, slightly cutting him, and pushed his body out of the car wreck. The oxygenated world above them reminded Lara of their quickly diminishing air supply. She briskly pinched his nose and pressed her lips to his, exhaling half of her remaining breath. As the light hit the water, it cast a beautiful range of colors, mystifying and glorious. Lara swam up towards the surface, an arm around Kurtis' waist pulling him upward. They were so close, mere meters away from the freedom of air when Lara's vision began to blur. Her chest burned immensely, and the pounding in her head caused her to let go of Kurtis, sending him back down into the eternal abyss. With or without the torturing pain, she understood one thing: if it wasn't for Kurtis, she might have not made it through the night. The thought compelled her to scoop him up and with every inch of her body screaming in agony, she towed him to the surface.

The sudden intake of fresh oxygen made her lightheaded and disoriented. The rivers' light current was sweeping them to the edge of the flowing water. She was indescribably exhausted and could think of nothing more pure and desirable than wrapping herself in her fresh linen sheets and sleeping for hours with nothing to worry about other than who will make coffee in the morning. The riverbed brushed against her feet and she pulled Kurtis out of water, dragging him onto the shore and collapsing beside him. "Kurtis stay with me, listen to my voice, stay with me." His entire body was blue and unmoving; the freezing river had held him under for too long. She checked for a pulse but only discovered a fraction of a beat pulsating through his veins. "Stay with me Kurtis, don't you bloody leave me." Squatting alongside him, she began to administer CPR.

* * *

Kurtis had been walking through white emptiness for hours, or at least it seemed like hours, could have been days, weeks, perhaps even a year. Every now and then he'd hear a soft laugh in the distance, possibly Abigail's childish giggle. Something about her, her striking blue eyes and facial features kept picking at his conscience, as though he knew her from somewhere, but couldn't acknowledge ever seeing the child.

A cry had ruptured off to his left, painful and needy. Hearing the call for help, his innate reflexes compelled him to investigate the unexpected outbreak of commotion. As he closed in on the noise, the adolescent girl he had seen beforehand emerged in front of him, gripping her right arm with newly formed tears rolling down rosy cheeks. Kurtis approached the helpless child, not exactly sure of what to tell her.

That comforting female voice, so familiar yet so vague, once again echoed into the misty environment. She rushed forward toward the young girl, embracing her tightly and assuaging her pain. "Abigail I told you not to run around like this when you're sick." The woman checked Abigails' arm for severe injuries.

"I fell on it mother, I didn't mean to, I didn't." She croaked through wet rivulets.

The mysterious woman touched Abigails' cheek, and held her protectively, rocking her back and forth until the child grew quiet, and her whimpering subsided.

Throughout the touching moment of motherly instinct, Kurtis had stood behind them, staring at the two, feeling his face rush with blood and eyes welling with compassionate tears. The entire time the brunette woman had her back turned to Kurtis, not noticing the man watching them. The mother who had eased Abigails' distress looked very similar to someone he had known during his life. They shared some of the same physical characteristics; slender figures, auburn hair and the same soothing voice- _No, it couldn't be. She's not the type to have kids…_He chivalrously maneuvered toward the pair, stretching out his hand to take hold of the woman's shoulder. Kurtis was about to call out her name, curious on whether his assumptions were correct, when something lodged in his throat. Unable to speak out and catch his breath, he stumbled backwards, grasping his neck and struggling to inhale fresh oxygen. The corners of his perception began to darken, finally mixing with pigments of gray and black. Before he blacked out, his last few thoughts cursed himself for not discovering the womans' name.

* * *

Lara had been persistently compressing Kurtis' chest. There was absolutely no trace of life in his frozen frame. Desperately, she pounded a fist at his torso, angry and pessimistic. "Kurtis don't you dare leave me, don't even think about it!" She blew a breath into his mouth; if it took her fifteen hours to get him to breathe she would do it. But as second after second passed, guilt began to consume her moral.

As she leaned in to tilt his head back, a stream on water trickled down his chin and absorbed into the solid ground. He began to convulse slightly, then the spasms increased and he began to violently cough. Lara's heart almost skipped a beat. She rolled him on his side and watched him thankfully gag and begin to breathe. Kurtis looked up at her and swallowed hard, then searched the clouded sky for some explanation.

Both of them had been freezing; shivering in attempt to conserve body heat. Lara rose and observed her surroundings while Kurtis sat upright, focusing on her. "Thanks-"

Lara turned around to face him. "Wait, I'm sorry, what was that?" She lifted a finger to her ear, imitating a sarcastic gesture. "Is that you're pathetic way of thanking me?" Kurtis' brows furrowed, taken aback by her bitter question.

"What? 'Pathetic'? I must have not of gotten the memo of having to shower you with 'thank-you' cards and flowers. Did you want me to get on my knees and worship you as well?" He paused watching her advance on him. "I saved you're life, and now you've saved mine. We're even." He got to his feet, shouldering past her without glancing back.

She had to restrain herself from jumping on him right then and there, and strangling him to death. Clenching her fists, she narrowed her eyes at his distancing back. _What a prick! _Lara exhaled through clenched teeth. As the pressure decreased on her jaw, it filled the rest of her body, particularly her ribs, with immeasurable pain. A sharp breath escaped her lips and she clutched her side vigilantly.

Kurtis had begun to climb the steep dirt hill that held a base of the bridge. He kept mumbling something arrogant under his breath, but Lara decided she would wait until she was in dry and comfortable attire to argue him on it. Following his carefully placed footsteps, Lara tagged after him up the hill.

**Okay, so now you've read it. Tell me what you think, I love hearing from you guys, and it also helps me write better and faster : ) So why not take a spare minute out of you're busy day to review, it'll mean a lot to me :D**


	9. Making Progress

**Hello again my fellow readers, I have this chapter _finally_ up and running. Work and school have been occupying a lot of my time but I did not forget you all! This chapter is a little bit longer than the others and there is more dialogue, but I dearly hope it isn't boring. Ah and I almost forgot, the next few chapters should get... _interesting _if you get my drift. Thanks to EmDeSea, HeartBrokenMya, Jackiep13, Angel of Darkness, and NFI for your motivating reviews! They are very much appreciated! Alright, here is "Making Progress"...**

Lara had walked several meters in front of Kurtis, only turning around to fold her arm out and hitch-hike a ride home. Kurtis, on the other hand, put no effort whatsoever into catching the eye of a sincere driver. _Pathetic? Who does she think she is? 'Pathetic' _He imitated her tone with exaggeration while continuing to mutter inaudible nonsense. He glanced up from the pavement and noticed a sign educating the speedy traffic they were crossing a river; Trent. _How ironic._ He shook his head at the thought and carried on following Laras' path.

Every step she took relinquished a degree of warmth from her worn frame. She shuddered and made one last attempt to stop traffic and seize their attention. Dripping wet and barely dressed, her figure left little to the imagination.

A faint puff of smoke rose from an oncoming delivery truck. Its left turn signal began to flash rhythmically, and the truck came to a halt off the side of the road. Kurtis looked up from the fascinating gravel and watched the passenger door swing open. Lara approached the driver cautiously but full of curiosity.

"Evening." She observed the interior of the truck, finding it littered with beer cans and crumpled plastic containers. "I'm supposed to be heading to Surrey; perhaps you're heading south yourself?" The fat male occupying the drivers' seat raised an eyebrow at her and nodded.

"Sure love." He grunted while chewing on the toothpick that inhabited his filthy mouth.

Lara stared at the being in disgust, feeling her top lip quivering. It was either this, or perhaps trudging a hundred kilometers to the nearest town. _And catching hypothermia,_ she reminded herself.

"Are you getting in toots, or am I just wasting my time?" Evidently, Lara had spaced out holding the cold metal door open. She answered him with a slight bow of her head but then remembered her contemptuous companion.

"I'll be right back." She flashed a fake smile to him and marched back toward Kurtis. "Are you coming?" No answer. "Look, Kurtis, you can either get on this abominable truck with me, or stay here acting like a child having a temper tantrum." Her voice held no patience, and without realizing it, she had begun to tap her foot.

He didn't say anything to her, just stood there with his hands deep in his pockets pondering over the fact that if he'd agree to ride with Lara, it would inevitably end up being on his conscience screaming at himself for giving up so easily. Craning his head back and watching the passing cars, he silently agreed to her request and tagged after her._ Ah what the hell. In this case death is inevitable;_ He could almost picture the balance in his mind, _either Lara will proceed to beat the living shit out of me, or I freeze like some ancient caveman found in the Alps…_She stood rigid as he neared her, inspecting her of concealed weapons that she might yank out and stab him in the heart with. He strode right up to her and extended his arm out towards the open passengers' door. "Ladies first."

She glared at him, throwing flaming daggers with her eyes. _Why do I put up with you?_ Lara turned her back to him and hoisted herself onto the trucks' elevated step, but Kurtis intercepted her and pushed her aside, taking a seat next to the repulsive driver. She had watched Kurtis shove her out of his way, and she longingly missed the feeling of pulling triggers. Seating herself beside someone she desperately wanted to torture, Lara slammed the door rather harshly. Hurling doors was seemingly becoming more amusing with the thought of Kurtis' head being the object that interrupts the loud banging sound of metal colliding with metal. She smiled villainously, noting her mind to achieve this in her next life.

The driver scoffed seeing the couple in his truck were obviously two not to mess with. The large alloyed eighteen-wheeler fused with the rest of the hypnotized traffic and slowly started its' undoubtedly innocent journey to Surrey. "I suppose I should introduce myself. The name's Felix." He stuck out his hand at Kurtis, who just looked down upon it and snorted.

"Lara" she shook his hand reaching over Kurtis. "This ass-prick right here is Kurtis, don't mind him, he's communicatively challenged."

Felix chuckled, "Good to know. I don't assume your last name would be 'Croft'?"

Smiling she nodded her head. "Yes it is, is there a reason you're asking?"

"_Asking_, Jesus woman, England's' finest are investigating a murder on your estate! It's all over the news, haven't you heard anything about it?"

"No I have not actually." She shot a venomous look at Kurtis, "Would you care to elaborate?"

Kurtis sighed, as he pulled out his dripping wet cell-phone from his pocket. _Wonderful._ But it was his drenched cigarettes that made him lose hope for any kind of salvation. Felix, seeing his helpless gesture, opened up the dashboard compartment and acquired two freshly wrapped brand-named cigarettes, all the while still speaking to Lara. "Well apparently, someone had called the police, reporting some sort of incident. I'm surprised you haven't heard of it love, it's being reported everywhere. The highly elite are looking for _you_, its all over the news darling." Kurtis snatched the offered cigarette and searched for a source of ignition.

"You gotta' light?" He asked.

"It speaks." Felix smiled, then wiped the grin off of his face. "Yeah sure mate, I got one." Felix reached into his pockets, prying out a silver flip-top lighter. The front of it was engraved with a female woman lying down and arching her back. "It's my son's'" he stated proudly.

"That explains so much…" Kurtis covered the flame as he lit the end of the cigarette, taking a long drag of the burning tobacco.

"Are you honestly going to puff that _thing_ in here?" Lara stared at him, astonished by his stupidity.

"Yeah I think I'm 'honestly' going to." He blew a large cloud of smoke in her face, causing Lara to cough slightly. She was furious, her metaphorical stack of hay had just begun to tilt on its' side. Without any notice, she jerked the white roll out from his lips and threw it out into the passing world. "Hey! What the hell was that for?!"

"You know for what. Why would you call the bloody police, you did realize that getting back in would be a pain in the ass with officers swarming my house!"

"Oh I'm sorry if you wanted me to leave Winston in the kitchen with his insides painting the tiled floor like some modern mosaic! What was I supposed to do, wait for you get back, make you a nice cup of tea with those little scones you English love so much? I'm a goddamn cop Lara, it's my job!" He yelled at her trying to defend himself.

That was it, his last remark made her explode with anger. Her left hand had risen so quickly it wouldn't have even been noticed. But Kurtis did notice it and had stopped her hand midway from connecting with his face. He clenched her wrist in a death grip, turning to fully face her, a half-smile forming on his mysterious lips. "You don't want to do that." He replied calmly.

"You would be surprised by the things' I'd love to do to you." She seethed through clenched teeth. Her vexation was steaming off her, evaporating into the tense atmosphere.

"Well perhaps later when we are alone, I don't like an audience when I'm _on_ the job." Making sure he accentuated the preposition, he smirked as an eyebrow arched up, creasing his forehead.

"You're disgusting." Lara twisted her head to face the window, watching the outside scenery blur past her. Kurtis released her wrist, thrusting her bruised hand away.

"Is there something you two blokes want to discuss, I can pull over-" The driver of the truck attempted to ease the tension between all three of them, but failed as he was cut off with the married couple barking at him.

"We're fine!" In unison they growled at Felix, killing any effort in tranquilizing the uncomfortable silence.

The remainder of the expedition home was awkwardly quiet. Lara had been lulled into a light sleep, after an endless argument with Kurtis on whether recent studies on the Spartan civilization were true. She had decided to go against her will and allow Kurtis to have the mental glory of feeling triumphant, though she knew of course his act would come back around and bite him in the ass. Karma had a way of doing that to people.

* * *

Lara was having a wondrous dream, just her and the Caribbean white sand between her toes. The vast sapphire ocean in front her gleamed with purity. Seagulls patrolling the coast gave her a sense of protection, although of course she wouldn't have minded taking aim to a few of them, especially the ones that kept lunging at her picnicked grapes in high hopes of success. Her feet submerged under a cool salty wave that had escaped from its' colony of clones. She felt so serene not having to worry about rescuing something from someone or vice versa. That's what her life had been programmed to fulfill, it had always been 'for the greater good' nonsense she knew no one would ever actualize. But she continued doing it, the thing she dreaded the most, compelled by some ancient force to emerge victorious and battle scarred. Many years ago she recognized that unknown force that drove her; it was so simple, instinctive survival.

The indigo waves bobbed out at sea, longing to crash into the ivory coastline only to recede back into a universe of synchronization. Lara slowly melted into the soothing ocean; her fingertips skimming the bouncing waves. It was as though the water absorbed her sins, rendering her soul, sweeping her away into the unbounded realms of forgiveness. She tilted her head back, letting the salty liquid swallow her auburn locks. The blazing sun beat down on her already golden face, forcing Lara to close her eyes and protect them from the harsh rays. The water grew neck deep on her womanly figure; she inhaled a large breath and immersed herself fully into the rehydrating ocean. Once under, she entered a completely different domain.

Silence, peaceful and undisturbed silence.

Lara sank down to the ocean bed, crossing her legs and sitting, her lengthy chestnut hair floating and swaying in rhythm with the passing sea surf. With her eyelids closed shut, she began to purge the oxygen from her lungs, gradually unleashing the prolonged pain of her childhood and tormented life. She opened her mouth and began to scream, shrieking at her mother, father and loved ones until her chest could endure no more. Lara quickly pushed her body up to the surface, breaking through and gasping. She spewed out pungent water from her lips and raked her pruned hands through devilish hair. Walking back to shore, Lara felt lighter, as if the weight of some unexplainable burden had been lifted off her shoulders. The cotton beach towel she had used as a blanket lay overturned and sandy. Lara settled down on the baked sand, her arms and legs sprawled out on the beach. She laughed, her first real laugh in years, rolling around in the coarse landscape, living the amazing feeling of freedom.

_"Lara"_ Someone was calling her name, the sound was faint and distant. _"Lara wake up…"_ It grew louder, charging at her with full force. _No, no please don't let this be a dream._ Her surroundings started to become hazy, the palm trees behind her faded, and soon she saw the ocean disappear into nothingness. _Don't wake up, don't wake up... _Things began to lose their contrast, the unblemished sand beneath her feet diminished leaving her in the dark. _Don't let this be a dream…_

Her hazel eyes flew open, readjusting her vision and organizing images in her head. Kurtis was staring at her, the glint of a smirk forming on his lips. "Morning sunshine." As she began to register the setting around her, Lara soon realized she had fallen asleep on Kurtis's shoulder. It would not have been uncomfortable, and although it wasn't, Lara wouldn't allow Kurtis to see her without the thick emotional armor it had taken her years to construct. She lifted her head, glancing around.

"Had to stop for gas, we'll be home within the hour." Kurtis had pulled himself away from her, running his hand across the dashboard. His hair was in a soft frizz; tiny strands poked out from the bushel of dark brown. A large bruise was forming on his forehead; the painful souvenir he had purchased from the car wreck. The doused cellular phone that had previously occupied Kurtis's pocket lay innocently untouched, unwanted and discarded. _Bryce._ She remembered her dear friend; the threatening situation she had been sucked into and how it may jeopardize his life.

The gas station attendant labeled as Daniel, watched through his grungy Plexiglas window as a tall brunette woman jumped out of the recently parked delivery truck. She had jogged over to a transparent phone booth and contacted someone over the phone.

"Bryce, its Lara." She paused knowing all too well he would lecture her on television headlines.

"_Lara! Bloody hell, what has happened? Where are you? The police are looking for you, someone's dead on your grounds an-"_

"Bryce, I need you to listen to me, I'll explain all of this later. You need to get out of the country, fly to Italy, Spain, Brazil, wherever. You cannot stay in England, it's too dangerous. I've already lost a good friend and I'm not about to lose another. Book the flight under my bank account, my treat." She smiled warily.

"_I don't understand. What happened, is Winston alright?" _There was a long silent pause, indistinctive voices from the television informed Lara, Bryce had heard who was killed at Croft Manor. _Police have identified the victim as Winston Smith, allegedly Lara Crofts' butler. No other information has been released on the cause of death or the suspect. More on this story as it progresses._

Lara sighed deeply, saddened that her beloved butlers' murder had to be announced so casually. "Bryce, you cannot stay in England, you need to leave the country. I promise I'll explain everything later."

"_I'm so sorry Lara."_

"Bryce, I'm fine. One last thing, the code to the armory, is it still the same?"

"_Yeah, should be, no ones' changed it since Prague. Why? Are you scheming something? Because you know I could use a little extra pay." _She heard him chuckle on the other end, and a grin crept across her lips. Leave it to Bryce to liven up any situation.

"No, you need to get out of London. I'll speak to you soon." With that, she hung up and left the claustrophobic booth.

* * *

Forty-five minutes later, Croft Manor had come into view. Felix was ordered to park half a mile from the main entrance, hopefully an ample enough distance from the police vehicles that surrounded Laras' home. Lara slipped out through the passengers' door with Kurtis jumping down behind her. His heavy black boots generated a solid thud as they hit the dry earth.

"Thank you Felix." She waved her hand at him, wishing him a safe trip back to London.

"Don't worry about it; it was my good deed for the day anyways." He smiled and leaned over the unoccupied seat to pull the door back and shut it. "You just make sure things work out, love." Felix held up his hand signaling a goodbye and continued on his initial route.

As soon as the truck had gotten out of viewing range, Lara quickly turned around searching for something on the ground. They were on a desolate dirt road; Lara had never really appreciated townsfolk disturbing her peace with their SUV's and fuel consuming monsters.

"Alright, so how are we getting back into the house without you being questioned like some contestant from 'Who Wants to be a Millionaire'?" Kurtis had crossed his arms and shifted his weight to one leg.

"You should have thought of that _before_ you called the police, genius." Lara crouched down beside a group of various shrubs. A rusted circular handle was hidden beneath the tall grass. "Luckily, there is another way." She yanked on the handle and revealed an opening in the ground, similar to the look of a tornado cellar with two doors swinging on decaying hinges. "Wonderful, I would have never thought this thing could have come to better use." She flung the decomposing doors open and peeked inside. The cave-like tunnel was lit only by the daylight cast from the entryway. Lara glanced at Kurtis and her lips curved into an optimistic smirk. "We English people always have a plan B." Then, she informally stepped down into the black passageway.

Kurtis stood in the same spot as Lara had seen him before she disappeared into the ground. A few seconds had passed since she had vanished, when Lara poked her head out from the opening. "Coming?" With her question, an eyebrow joined in, arching itself in conjunction with her tone. He scoffed and walked up to the entry, observing it with curiosity.

"Why not. Pitch black tunnels that lead to hell are my favorite." He placed his foot on the first step, cautiously letting his eyes adjust to the dark.

Lara had gone ahead several meters, using her palms to guide her. The cold stone underneath her hands was granular and damp. "Sarcasm?"

"Just a little." Kurtis timidly touched the walls of the passage with his index finger, lifting it to inspect it of foul odor. Lara turned around talking to the illuminated silhouette near the entrance.

"Afraid of the dark Trent?" The corners of her mouth curled, forming into a vicious grin.

It had taken him a spilt second too long to answer, and he knew it was a mistake on his part. "Nope, you?"

"I'm considered a 'Tomb Raider' Kurtis; it would defy the point of such a title if I had come to fear darkness." Lara herself was actually taken aback by her quick response. "To answer your meaningless question, no I am most certainly not."

"That's good, because you know if there's some boogeyman or something creeping around in this cave I wouldn't want you to scream and jump into my arms for protection."

"You see, that is where you are wrong. _You_ would be the one screaming like a little girl and jumping into _my _arms." She sighed, already annoyed by the slow progress of the situation. "There should be some spare flares around here; my father had purposely left three or four at both ends of the tunnel, another one or two in the center." She spotted a tiny niche in the wall near the bottom step. _There you are._ Passing Kurtis, she stuck her hand into the rectangular alcove and pulled out a small box, dust covering the top like a thick blanket. Lara sparked a flare to life, its' glow filling the tunnel with bright crimson light.

Both of them slowly began to traverse the passage, quiet stillness engulfing them and the darkness ahead. "Where does this thing lead to?" Kurtis asked.

"My pool room. In the 19th century, when the house was rebuilt, my great-great grandfather built this tunnel in case anything had happened. My father showed it to me when I was young and I had spent the majority of my childhood here, digging further into the passageway day by day until I had come to the end, the dirt road we entered from."

"Ah, so you were an early adventurer. How cute."

Lara threw him a venomous look. "_Anyway_, this tunnel hasn't been used since my fathers' death, I intended on it staying that way until two nights ago when Vasiliev barged into my home. This was the only way he could have gotten in without my security censors detecting him." The flare began to faint, its' smoke creating rosettes in the thin air. "We're getting close."

"And I suppose once you have your equipment, you're going after him." Kurtis glanced back behind them.

"What else would I do, sit at home answering pointless questions while that bastard gets his way, manipulating and using people like pawns in his grotesque game? The moment he crossed my threshold, he became a dead man. His life expectancy lasts only until the second he sees the barrel of my gun."

Several muted minutes later, the outline of a door emerged in front of them. "Alright listen, I need to get to the armory and my bedroom. I need _you_ to distract the officers while I slip in and out, give me ten minutes." He nodded in agreement, and turned his head to the illuminated outline.

"And this giant cinder block? How the hell are we moving it out of the way?"

Lara walked up to the outline, looked back at Kurtis and smiled. "You don't actually think I'd put a giant eight hundred pound statue in front of an escape hatch. It's interior is plaster, I had a painter coat the outside with granite paint, and voila Michelangelo's unheard of masterpiece. At most it's four hundred kilos." She carefully pushed against the large fish shaped statue, hearing the bottom of it grind above the tiled floors. She paused, listening intently, hoping she had not attracted unneeded attention from the loud scraping noise.

Kurtis soon joined in, helping her force the plaster further into the main building. Lara had held her breath, as a reflex, while straining at the statue. She suddenly gasped as the unbearable pain in her ribs rushed back, her hand rising to her midsection._ Bloody hell_. Lara screwed her eyes and took long heavy breaths until her body calmed down and was able to continue.

"You alright?" Kurtis wasn't able to visually see her, but had sensed something was wrong by her rapid breathing.

"I'm fine, just a bruise." She lied.

Numerous efforts later, they were finally able to break through and infiltrate the pool room. The gap between the corner of the statue and the wall was just barely wide enough for Kurtis to slide through and enter the spacious chamber.

Lara was keen on packing her things quickly; leaving this forsaken building before any more damage could be done. She turned to Kurtis, whispering. "Ten minutes, clear the main stairwell, and meet me in the garage in fifteen." A smirk overthrew his lips and he pivoted his head towards the door.

"This should be interesting." Then he left the well lit room, his boot making obnoxious thumps on the solid stone ground as he marched down the hallway stopping feet away from the doorway to the main hall. He straightened his body, thrust his shoulders back, and rubbed his hands together as though he were about to step on stage and act out the biggest and most meaningful scene of his career. Kurtis stepped out into the limelight, spotting the group of agents discussing the evidence from the murder. "Evening gentlemen."

"Kurtis, you bastard, what the hell are you doing here?" One of the men responded to his greeting.

"Well hello to you too."

The head officer, Jack Collins, grinned upon Kurtis, chuckling and shaking his head in amusement. "Ray is around here somewhere. I'm sure he'd be able to fill you in on the investigation. Forgive my men; they're not earnest to newbie's."

"Oh, earnest is bit of an understatement don't you think? And anyways maybe I don't want to talk to Ray, perhaps I'd like to check out the scene, give you a _real_ opinion on the killing…" Kurtis circled the group, scrutinizing them with his glare, watching them squirm like ants under a sunlit microscope.

"Jack, he is completely unnecessary here. Get him back to base for a debriefing" A man from the group called to Jack, hoping his commander would comply.

"No, I think it would be rather refreshing to hear from someone _other_ than the men I write checks to." His pupils glimmered against the stained windows reflecting magical light in his eyes. "From your American 'CSI' shows I'll be expecting something extraordinary." Kurtis and Jack were in a different world, they understood each others actions and the reactions that proceeded after. But then again, Jack was the one who suggested him to the CIA.

The two men rounded up the group of investigators, forming a horseshoe around Kurtis. He faced the massive stained glass window, which sat looming above the split master staircase. The manor did not hold the same comforting feel that Kurtis had been welcomed to days before; instead it reeked with death, murder and the soft clicking of cameras taking snap shots of the area. He told them what they had wanted to hear; tidbits of background information on Lara and her family matters. Kurtis wasn't lying, just holding back information that he didn't think was essential to his monologue.

It was in the middle of explaining Lara's situation in Paris and Prague, when his eyes caught the attention of a moving shadow.

Lara was discreetly maneuvering away from the same doorway he had come out of just moments ago. She stared at him and the men while cautiously taking each step towards the staircase. Her eyes met with Kurtis's for a fraction of a second and suddenly she felt this strange feeling come over her, tingling her senses, goose bumps cascading on her skin. The way his hair fell across his eyes and blocked certain fragments of his vision caught her attention. She couldn't control her eyesight from lingering downward watching his toned chest rise and fall with the insignificant words that flowed from his mouth. And then she saw it. A curious eyebrow perched atop his right eye, secretly interrogating her with its bend. Blood rushed to her cheeks, and Lara quickly looked away, feeling ultimately humiliated in front of him.

She hurriedly rushed up the steps, turning the corner that lead to her bedroom. The narrow sentimental rug that ran down the hallway comforted her bare feet, but she was forced to drop down on her hands and knees to avoid being caught by one of the unsuspecting officers Kurtis was talking to. _What are you doing Lara, don't be stupid, don't get involved._ She reached the oak door that would unveil her terminal.

* * *

"…She just wouldn't have a motive to kill her own butler and close friend." Kurtis had made his final statement, hopeful that his jury would find him believable. He cleared his throat and turned back to Jack. "I'll speak to Ray now."

Jack lifted the walkie in his hand and spoke into the microphone. "Ray Griffin, come down to the main hall, Kurtis is here. He'd like a word."

"_Copy that._" A British voice replied.

The remaining agents blurted out at each other, agreeing and disagreeing in unity until a tall man walked into the room. He was nearly 6'5, thin and pale. He had the eyes of a kind man, full of cheer and joyfulness.

Ray Griffin strode into the chamber, a wide grin smeared on his boney face. "Kurtis Trent! It's been months since I've seen you, Jesus."

"Ray, yeah mate, how long? I think it was Julia's wedding… back in February." They greeted each other with a sincere hug. Kurtis pulled Ray aside from the large group of men and continued. "Has there been any news on Vasiliev?"

"Right down to business, eh? Well actually he's holding another conference in Moscow this weekend, Intel informed us to keep an eye on him while he displays the famous Jade Key." Kurtis ran a hand through his hair and sighed, deep in thought. But quickly, an idea occurred to him.

"Listen, the apartment in Namur, is it still being leased?" He questioned his loyal companion.

"In Belgium? No I'm pretty sure it's empty for the next few months. Buyers don't really come around during the cold seasons. Why do you ask?"

"Because I need to take a little trip to Moscow." A glint of mystery flared in his hypnotizing blue eyes. The men he had been recently "lecturing" dispersed, most likely searching for evidence around the house that would prove their own theory on the murder. Ray just stared at Kurtis, that blank 'what the hell are you up to' expression on his face.

"Kurtis, don't you bloody hell run off after him. The man is a nutcase; you've seen the things he's done to his men. Chopping off their heads and sawing off their fingertips, it's like something from a Hannibal Lector movie. We've got him under surveillance; if he wipes his ass, we know about it."

"And that is exactly what I want you to continue doing. Pull some strings, I know you've got resources, just make sure the agency doesn't know where I'm going."

Ray Griffin slumped his shoulders just slightly, causing Kurtis to seem taller then he previously was next to him. He knew that Kurtis would not take no for an answer; he'd just keep on pushing until he got his way and Ray himself would have to admit defeat. "Sophie still lives next door you know." He stated, wishing the mention of Kurtis' ex would somehow pull back on his reigns and make him not go to Moscow.

"Is she now… well then I guess I'll keep in mind to double lock all the windows and doors." Kurtis knew exactly where Ray was heading with his choice of words. He hadn't seen Sophie in at least ten years, nor has he exactly wanted to either. She had cheated on him, blamed him for making her cheat and left for Barcelona; all in the timeframe of one working business day. Kurtis could admit that it was partially his own fault for making her leave, but he felt absolutely nothing when she did. He actually felt _better_ when she had gone. But he had closed that chapter of his life when he moved back to the States, starting out fresh; beginning with the theft of luxury cars.

"From the things I've heard, she's still the annoying little slut she was when she left you."

"Don't call her that. I'm sure there are plenty of ways to ignore her. I mean, hell the apartment _is_ above a bar…" Kurtis felt the minutes ticking away as this small-talk with Ray was extending further into his own personal life; and frankly, Kurtis was not in the mood to talk about his past. "Did you see the scene? Jack was telling me they might have a lead on the suspect."

"You know Kurtis, you're just as likely to of done it as Vasiliev… Fleeing from the victim like that…" His lips curled just a little, but Kurtis could see the full-fledged smile. Obviously, Ray knew a lot more on what happened then he pretended to know.

"Yeah…" Kurtis paused, thinking of ways he could get to the garage without anyone perceiving him. "Alright, well I'm gonna be heading back to town, I need to get some rest…" He began to back away still speaking with Ray. "If anything more comes up, give me a call at the apartment."

* * *

A freshly dressed Lara strode into her spacey garage; a room packed with brand new Aston Martin's, Audi's, Mustangs and other various vehicles. "Hello darlings." She sported a pair of comfortable black pants that were tucked into her usual worn-down boots. Her holsters were strapped securely to her thighs but were lacking her complementary dual pistols. A navy-blue cashmere sweater covered her torso, which was peeking out from under her ebony leather jacket. She had everything prepared and ready to go; the only thing left to do was to arm herself with her trusty gadgets.

Behind her 1964 Aston Martin stood a normal looking utility closet. Lara approached the vehicle, glancing back towards the door to check if anyone had realized the lady of the house was home. An opening on the closet door poked out, and all Lara had to do was type in the pass-code on the keypad. The doors hissed at their master and slid apart, disclosing a long room that lit up with florescent lights at Lara's sudden appearance.

The small enclosure held some of the most powerful weapons seen to man. Ranging from rocket launchers and sniper rifles to grenades, Kalashnikovs and of course Lara's personal favorites; her two twin Desert Eagle pistols. She surveyed her toys and picked through them, selecting only a few she would take on her journey.

Kurtis crept into the garage unobtrusively, closing the large oak door behind him silently. Immediately the first thing he distinguished were the beautiful cars that surrounded him. "Holy mother-"

Lara popped out from the ammunitions hold, "Ah, Kurtis, just in time. Come here, I want to show you something." He walked towards her voice, not even realizing he was gaping at the brand new silver Aston Martin.

"My god, Lara. How the hell did you get all these?" Kurtis was finally able to look away from the shiny vehicle and ask Lara.

"I stole them." She grinned and placed both silver Desert Eagles into her holsters.

"Ouch." He shook his head in disbelief that Lara would bring up the subject of carjacking. She threw him his Boran X and he caught it one handed, running his fingers over the cold metal shaft.

Lara walked out of the hold and came back seconds later, carrying a black duffle bag in one hand. "Your little Frisbee thing is on the shelf." As soon as she finished, the bladed disk flew at her as the orange glow enflamed it. Kurtis reached out his hand and the circular airborne object darted into his palm and became dormant.

"It's called a Chirugai, and it is _not_ a Frisbee." His tone had gotten sharp and his voice sliced through the stillness around them. Lara stood up, brushing her hair back with her hands and glared at him, enraged that he could, after everything she had been through, still mock her with his telekinetic powers. "So which one are we taking?"

"_We_? Kurtis, there is no we. I am going alone, meaning by myself, making it impossible for it to be a 'we'."

"Right… and you're going to find Vasiliev how again? Seems like you'll need my assistance in tracking him, and since I already know where he is, don't you think it would save you tons of time by simply asking me?" The gratification in his American accent made Lara want to launch one of the rockets in the room straight into his head and laugh as little pieces of Kurtis would fly everywhere.

"Hah! No thank you, I'm really quite sure I don't want to drag you to another hospital when you're bleeding to death. Doesn't that sound familiar? Oh yes, yes it does. But hey, if you want to be skewered by another giant wasp, then please, be my guest come along. Just know that I will be standing in the doorway watching you bleed with pure satisfaction." She had neared him so close that their chests met and he stared down at her in enjoyment.

"Well that's alright by me, I'd prefer to be stabbed by a bitch then befriend one." That signature smirk of his spread across his face, as he whispered into her ear. "Either way, I'm going with you."

Lara's senses flared and she felt completely betrayed by her body's reactions as it took pleasure in being this close to Kurtis. His breaths absorbed into her skin and intoxicated her with his unique sensual scent. She quickly pulled away from him, knowing she, herself, had gotten into the situation. Forcefully shoving weapons into the bag, she paused as she came to the hunting knifes. Lara held a knife in her hand, flipped it in between her fingers and tested the blade. _Sharp enough…_ But she set it down on the counter. "The Audi." For the first time in her life she had admitted defeat without an actual threatening scenario.

Not seeing him watch her, instead she felt his eyes on her figure, and she could picture the fulfilling look on his face. Lara could feel the silent air between them nearing ignition, and therefore chose to walk away from the situation instead of beginning another argument. She shouldered past him and snatched the car keys from a nearby barred safety box. _I cannot believe he's coming with me. Wonderful Lara, job well done, congratulations on trying to keep things simple and failing miserably._

Kurtis opened the passengers' door and took a seat in the luxurious Audi R8. He patted the leather seat underneath him and yanked on the seatbelt, clicking it into place and waiting patiently for Lara to stop glaring at him and get in the car. Folding his arms, he shifted in the seat finding a pleasing position and fixed his gaze on Lara.

She looked up into the heavens asking herself why she had to be acquainted with this godforsaken prick. Then, Lara shut the entrance of the armory, opened the garages' gate, placed the heavy bag into the trunk, slammed the door and _only_ then got into the vehicle. With deadly precision she backed out into her driveway and swerved around; punching the gas she sped away.

"Alright, I have reason not to kill you. So tell me Trent, where is it that we are going?"

"We're going to visit a close friend in Moscow."

**Thank you for reading, now how do I make you leave a review... : )**


	10. Mixed Thoughts

**And so we meet again. I'm not going to say a lot about this chapter except for the fact that I do not own anything. There. Now we're settled. : ) Enjoy!**

Driving with Lara wasn't exactly something Kurtis very much appreciated. By the time they had passed London's Waterloo train station, his stomach protested against any quick movements, threatening him; begging to sit still for at least a few moments of relaxation. Lara, whilst still racing at a much too high speed, had dialed a friends' number, informing him that they were to arrive soon and that he should have 'things prepared'.

She had noticed Kurtis' confused expression as she set the phone down into the cup holder. "In life, Kurtis, there are many good opportunities that can come out of the large number of persons one knows. Take for instance, the fact that I have a close acquaintance that manages the docks in London; a simple click of a button and I can have this gorgeous darling in a clean container, safe from the harm of intoxicated teenagers."

"That's wonderful that you have developed a theory in life, and I must say, I'm quite relieved that you found a place to park your car and not a secretly formed plan for my body bag." He craned his neck to her and grinned; an adorable smile that any other girl walking down the street would have sighed over. Lara, instead, replied with nothing more than a cold shoulder and sarcasm.

"Well, there's still enough time to call that in too."

Night had cast it's darkness upon their arrival at the dock; the damp English air filling that lightlessness with a chilling effect. Lara backed the car up into a narrow road and expunged the engine, yanking out the keys as she did so. An older man approached the now subdued vehicle and opened his arms wide, awaiting a sincere embrace. "Lara, my god! No word from you and now I hear you've gotten yourself into some trouble." She jogged over to him, smiling and hugging him tightly.

"Robert, thank you for coming out so late, I know you're not supposed to do things like this, but I couldn't be happier that you're defying the law!" They greeted each other with politeness and natural curiosity. Kurtis stepped out of the car, looking quite the disaster; or just a survivor of a category five hurricane. His hair was tousled and in an utter mess, making him look like he had just awoken from a deep slumber. However, the paleness in his face made it obvious that he was not feeling the slightest bit of cheerfulness.

"Ah, and who might you be?" Robert stuck out his hand and questioned him.

"Kurtis. You must be the guy packing up the car." He shook the kind mans' hand and glanced at Lara who stood beside him ever so slightly shaking her head.

"Our train departs in an hour, think we make this quick?" She glanced at her cell phone, looking for some form of comfort from the digital clock.

"Why of course, let me just grab the keys and I'll take you to the place." Robert pushed his dirty glasses up with his thumb, and shuffled back into his cramped cubical of an office. Lara's newly cranky partner had discovered an old bouncy-ball that had been discarded near the front wheel of the Audi. Whilst leaning on the car, he played with the rubber toy reluctantly. She surveyed him; the round object in his hand obediently returning to Kurtis' palm with every ricochet from the ground. Instead of his usual calm but dominant stance, he reminded Lara of an image she had seen in a film; a young teenager impatiently awaiting his mother to drive him to the mall. She smiled at the thought and continued to softly hum to herself.

"What is that?" Kurtis asked, never taking his eyes off his new prize.

"What is what?"

"That tune you're humming. Sounds familiar." _Thump, thump, thump…_

Lara stopped, realizing she had been humming rather obnoxiously. "Frank Sinatra. It was my mothers' favorite." There was sadness in her voice as she spoke of her deceased mother, and Kurtis wasn't planning on pushing the subject any further, but his mouth, however, had other goals.

"You were young when she died. My mother passed when I was twelve." He abruptly stopped toying with the ball and walked over to her, letting the item roll off his palm and into her unoccupied hand. She glanced down at her gift and tossed it up, catching it as gravity greedily forced it down. When she looked up at him, he was piercing through her with those two mesmerizing ocean-blue eyes he possessed. They silently contemplated one another; each hypnotized by some mystical force the other held. Kurtis was several inches taller than Lara, and as he slowly began to lean in towards her, Lara could feel that gut-wrenching feeling she usually got when she was near him like this; so close and personal, yet so distant and mysterious. She couldn't move; she didn't want to, but she believed she needed to. Kurtis gazed into her dark eyes, black almost against the night, and she, staring back into his, felt her body pleading her mind to just let go and give into his yearning. In a feather like touch, he grazed her warm lips with his own; not anything passionate, but just a light, electrifying connection.

"Ah, here we go-" As if the timing couldn't have been worse, Robert walked out carrying the keys to the container. Both Lara and Kurtis quickly backed away; Lara would not look at him as her heart pulsated harshly within her chest. She stared at the gray gravel beneath her, analyzing and questioning her actions and motives. _What are you doing Lara? Don't get involved, it will only make things more difficult._

_Yes, you want it Lara, you want _him_, and he craves you. Give into it; let him take you… what's the worst that could happen?_ An unequal voice she had been bottling down deep in her thoughts now erupted causing her to bite the side of her tongue and lock her eyes on his face. He just glanced at her up from underneath the hair that interrupted his vision with the eyes of a ravished wolf, glowing with sought out desire and appetite.

_You want him Lara…_

* * *

Trying to avoid physical contact with Kurtis was proving to be an almost impossible task. Somehow, one way or another, his hand would end up bumping into hers, or worse, skimming the sliver of exposed skin on her waist. What made it that much more difficult for her to abstain from throwing herself against him, was that every time she came into collision with some part of him, she enjoyed it. A large part of her relished the feeling of his proximity, but at the same time hated him for making her feel this way.

They had walked to the train station, not a very long excursion, but definitely an awkward one. From time to time Lara could see the corners of his mouth twitch with excitement, urged on by the reaction she emitted as he "accidentally" touched her. _This is going to be too much fun._

"The next time he touches me I don't know if I can handle it…" She stopped suddenly as her eyes widened. _Shit, did I just say that out loud?_ Her eyes rolled over to his figure. Had he heard her? He did. She was absolutely sure of it.

Kurtis stood next to her, smirking uncontrollably. "Well, well, well, what does Miss. Lady Croft have on her mind?" She kept walking ahead, robotically dashing towards the entrance of the Waterloo station and ignoring Kurtis.

_You're officially losing it Lara; you're losing your touch-_

_-He wants you; he wants you so bad it hurts him. And when you let him, it will feel so good you're not going to be able to stop screaming his name._ The other voice interrupted.

_Stop it!_ Lara cursed at herself, finding it troublesome just trying to deal with her thoughts. _I need to get to Moscow, take care of Vasiliev, get back to England and continue living my life. Yes. That is exactly what I'm going to do. _She spoke to her mind as if trying to find support in her decision. Sighing heavily, Lara crossed the threshold of Waterloo. Kurtis, still smiling, headed inside behind her.

* * *

After Lara had argued with Kurtis on the fact that he hadn't told her he intended on stopping in Belgium for a night, she had declared her cultivating hate for him- right smack down in the center of the station, flinging the tickets in his face. Once they had boarded the Eurostar train, Lara spent no time consuming small talk from Kurtis. 

"If we had taken the transfer straight to Moscow, we would be there in a few hours. But unfortunately, here we are heading to Paris and 'resting in Namur'. I would have been able to get to Vasiliev faster, leave Russia quicker, and hastily forget your ever existence." She said casually; flipping through a magazine.

"Well sweetie, if it causes you any further self-indulgence, I'm not entirely so sure if I'd really want to be here with you anymore. I mean, sure, you've got your good moments, but come on; being such a bitch isn't very attractive." He thanked the stewardess as she handed him a bottle of water.

"Good, perhaps I'll see less of you then."

"Perhaps you will. Just not yet, you're not getting rid of me that easily."

"Darn and I thought my scheme was working." Lara stared at him, dead-on never faltering in her expression. They had continued in this battle of wits until Kurtis's eyebrow popped up.

"See, if I were not here there would be no one to touch you and make you lose control." Kurtis stated, mentioning her previous remark before entering Waterloo. A wicked grin formed on his lips.

"Now I'm just not sure anymore, do I kill you now or 'accidentally' push you down the stairs later? I mean, either way I would have the pleasure." By now, she was just becoming uncomfortable; which was a feeling Lady Croft was not accustomed to. Because Kurtis hadn't replied to her not-exactly threatening statement, she moved onwards in the conversation. "Where is this place that we are staying?"

He, surprised by the sudden switch in her tone, told her that it was an old place in Namur, Belgium that he knew quite well. He knew the neighborhood and explained to Lara that it would just be a pit-stop, and then they would be off continuing to Moscow the next morning.

As the train sped on forward to Paris, so did the thoughts in Lara's head. All the things that had happened there- the murder, chaos, the accusations; she didn't want to be in a fifty mile radius of the haunting city.

Perhaps not everything that had happened there was terrible. Kurtis had magically entered her dangerous life, and almost lost his own in the process. A memory quickly flashed before her eyes that had taken place in the Louvre; Kurtis' hand moving tantalizingly down her over-sensitized arm and across her waist, whilst the barrel of his gun pressed firmly against the back of her neck. She remembered gazing into his expressionless eyes as she summed up her stalker in three seconds flat. And perhaps it was the sex-deprived Lara thinking at the time, or just the simple truth that someone was able to disarm her and stay alive during the confrontation, but she felt strangely wholesome yet aroused in those ticking seconds before he split and dashed away with her prize. It was then that Lara's eyes steered back and adjusted to the world before her.

Kurtis was sprawled out in the seat in front of her, making no effort to seem gentlemen-like what so ever. That was something she appreciated; he could be the biggest jackass at times, but when he got down to it, he was actually intriguing to be around. Not many people she had encountered had that type of quality. Kurtis had confidence that radiated off him in waves, and at times those egotistic waves would be steep enough to tear apart tropical islands. He knew he was confident; by the way he carried himself and always remarked with sarcasm was something Lara caught onto the second she made contact with him.

She now sat in the comforting chair, leaning her head on her wrist while daydreaming through the dark tunneled windows. Kurtis began to stir from his nap and lifted his head. "You're still thinking? Jesus Christ woman, do you _ever_ stop?" She turned her head towards him, an insult lingering at the tip of her tongue. But she stopped before her mouth could open and proceed to harass him further. He took this as a sign of her relaxation and tapped his fingers lightly on the seat, a teasing yet inviting look on his face. He rubbed the seat, and urged her, caressing the beige leather. Kurtis patted the padded bench once more, and Lara couldn't help but smile and comply. She lifted her feet off the ground and positioned them across from her near Kurtis's lap. "Atta girl."

* * *

They had taken a quick transfer rail to Brussels from Paris and soon after found themselves in cab heading to Namur. Neither Lara, nor Kurtis were perfectly fluent in French, but they used their previous knowledge and combined their thoughts to tell the driver where to go. As the cab ripped through Belgium's starry night, Lara's brain kept rewinding back to the pier in London.

_What if? What if I had kissed him, let him in, allowed him to understand everything? What if he hadn't kissed me? Would I even be here? Would I already be in Moscow?_ These ideas kept presenting themselves to her, but she wouldn't follow any of them. Lara had learned from past experiences how risky it was for the strangers entering her life. Too many lives were taken before she had decided to completely close herself up and not let any man into her heart.

The cab cruised by several beautiful sights Namur had to offer. The narrow roadways were lined with dim streetlights that illuminated the brick and mortar buildings. Even in the silent eleven PM night, the town never ceased to amaze. "Gorgeous, isn't it?" Kurtis asked as he watched Lara crane her neck to see the peaks of towers and rooftops.

"It's beautiful. How did you find such a place?" She couldn't take her eyes off the stunning scenery.

"I used to live here."

She paused. "You used to live _here_? Somehow I can't picture you strolling through these streets." He chuckled and exhaled deeply.

"It was a long time ago." His fingers were at it again. They drummed lightly on the windowsill, this time without an intention. Halle al'chair, The Meat Hall, came and passed their view as they crossed the Sambre River. All too soon, the vehicle came to a halt at the terrace of a tall limestone complex.

"Merci beaucoup." Kurtis handed the driver a wad of euros that had inhabited his wallet a second ago. He grabbed Lara's bag of supplies from the trunk and walked toward the glass door that led to the apartments above. A crowded bar buzzed on the corner of the street as townsfolk and tourists alike chatted noisily over the loud music.

"I can see why you chose this place." She motioned her head to the rackety tavern and smiled. "Better hope that noise will die down soon enough or else you'll have to deal with me kicking your ass."

"Point taken." He grinned and held his hand against the deadbolt lock. One secretly soft click sounded as Kurtis pushed the door open and headed up the stairs to his past-residence.

Three flights of stairs later, they reached their terminal. Kurtis searched for something as he counted the bricks on the wall, starting from the floor. It was about thirteen rectangular blocks up that he elbowed the fragile terra cotta. A large slab of weak drywall came crashing down, but he didn't seem to be bothered by it. His only reaction was an apparent grunt and the shaking off of dust that had landed on his shoulders. A dusty key slept within the tiny niche Kurtis had just broken through.

"Very subtle, Kurtis." Lara shook her head.

A number 6 label clung for its' dear life by a nail on the metal door. It's time had apparently come, and soon enough death came to claim it. The digit fell as Kurtis inserted the now acquired key into the lock and opened the door. He flicked the light switch on as he entered. Lara stepped into the vast apartment, her mouth dropping at the sight before her.

Wood, dark oak floors covered the entire premises of the flat. Massive white sheets coated unused furniture that looked out into the glorious city of Namur. Windows, the size of delivery trucks, panned out to the outside like constantly changing colossal paintings. Lara approached the thick glass and touched it, feeling the chill of winter seeping into the room. "You live _here?_" She had not even finished her question before she moved on to other rooms, quickly dashing through corridors and doors. An achromatic winding staircase that led to another room up above was located between two bedrooms and what resembled to be a living room.

"_Lived_. I _used_ to live here. You seem surprised." Kurtis strained his neck to the hallway as he dropped the keys on the kitchen counter and spoke to her.

"I am, actually. I just wouldn't ever assume you'd own this kind of place." Lara emerged from a further hallway, surveying the loft. "You seem more of a motel-to-motel type guy."

"Yeah, well facades can be deceiving." He smiled at her and gave her a quick tour of the place. "These two are bedrooms, bathroom is here-" Kurtis pointed to a door left ajar and continued. "Kitchen is open twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. Living room is equipped with the basic essentials; television, couch, and my personal favorite-" He rushed to a leather recliner and slowly lowered himself in, "this, is 'The Throne'." The look on his face was enough to make Lara laugh; it may have been the overly serious tone he projected or the fact that he called a leather reclining chair a "Throne", but it was definitely enough for her to release a snicker.

"'The Throne'?" She was still grinning, "And why do you call it that?"

"What else was I supposed to call it? 'The Recliner'? It doesn't matter what I call it, what matters is that your ass will never be sitting on something this soft again." He waved his hand in the air for her to come closer, and she did, like a child intrigued by a bedtime story. Kurtis shifted, just slightly and made room for her to sit on his chair. Lara bit her lip as she sat down on the plush fabric. He lifted his arm and draped it on the back of the chair.

"And is there a queen for the king who sits here?" Kurtis could tell by Lara's tone something different was brewing in her mind. Her sudden switch in personality had tripped a sexual tripwire and Kurtis, too, began to form a different agenda in his mind. With a smirk he leaned close to her ear and whispered.

"Not currently, no. But you never know who can come along and… take a seat." His hot breath spilled over her sensitive neck and sent chills through her entire body. She exhaled sharply as blood unintentionally began to rush to all the wrong places. Seizing the moment, Lara quickly stood, snatching her duffel bag and walking into one of the bedrooms. "I'll take this one!" She was practically heaving for breath as she leaned on the bedroom door with her back hugging the solid wood. _What's wrong with you!? How could you allow something like this happen? You're losing control, and you're losing yourself within this conflict!_

* * *

For the remainder of the night, Lara kept to herself and her own room. As she lay in bed, engulfed by contentment and warmth, every movement and sound made her senses anxious. A part of her wished, and dearly hoped Kurtis would walk in any moment and spend the night in her bed. The other part dreaded any form of companionship and longed to be home where at least she knew she had guardianship; of her heart as well as from Kurtis. Lara's eyes were fixed upon a long crack in the ceiling. She coiled back her musings like a kite on a string and jumped out of bed. Something was bound to happen tonight.

Silently, she tip-toed out into the unlit hallway and crossed the living room. A vision in white, she neared the other bedroom, dressed in merely nothing except her underwear and an undershirt. Lara's heart pounded in her ribcage; adrenalin pumping through her veins. This is what she lived for, the curiosity, the urge. It hadn't taken too many tombs to raid when she discovered this addiction. This high-tension feeling had become her undeniable drug.

Cautiously, Lara opened Kurtis' door and peeked inside.

The room was glossed with various shades of dark blue cast from the moonlight. Kurtis' resting body was nestled in a cocoon of bed sheets as he slept peacefully. A soft snore every now and then would echo from the bed as Lara approached him, her eager eyes tracking his every move. Garments littered the floor like small cotton-like islands. Kurtis shifted positions and she froze; halfway between him and door. She wanted him, wanted to touch him, get a sense of the feel of his taut naked body pushing against hers. She saw his gun and that sphinx-like weapon he could control with his mind and continued to near her game.

And then something happened. It was like someone had snapped their fingers and the spell Lara had been under came undone. She glanced around the bedroom, and hurried out trying to figure out exactly what she was doing. Lara hadn't even closed his door, just bolted back into her own room and back to bed.

* * *

Knocking. Continuous, displeasing, repugnant knocking. Six AM knocking. Who the hell knocks at 6 AM type knocking. Kurtis walked to the door frustrated and annoyed. "Yeah! I'm coming! Would you stop fucking knocking?!" It did. Suspiciously, the vexing hammering ended, which made Kurtis just a little paranoid. He quietly made it to the kitchen and found a sharp knife. As he advanced to the entrance, Lara stuck her head out from behind her bedroom door.

"What is that?"

"We're about to find out. Get your guns." Kurtis opened the door; just an inch wide sliver when Lara heard him drop the knife.

"Kurtis!?"

He stood at the opened gateway in his boxers, clutching the door with his left hand as his right one fisted through his disheveled bed hair.

"Sophie…" It was as though he was seeing a ghost; but worse. "…Hi."

**I couldn't resist! Cliff-hangers are much too fun to write! Alright well, in my theater classes we were doing this character analysis and I thought about some of the things Lara would think in certain types of situations. Tell me what you think. Should I tone it down a little, the whole thought process thing? Before I forget to mention: DUE TO THE CONTENT OF THE FOLLOWING CHAPTERS THIS STORY WILL BE BUMPED UP TO THE "M" RATING.**

**Thank you for reading! See you all soon!**


	11. Brinksmanship

**Hello folks... Now before I die from all those pitchforks and burning torches that you all are holding, I would like to apologize for the lack of an update... : ) So yes, the rating has been bumped up to "M" and I hope that isn't going to discourage you from continuing to read this little gem of mine. I do warn readers that somethings in this, and future chapters are for mature audiences, in case the "M" rating hasn't announced that already. Nothing belongs to me, except for Vasiliev. Enough stalling already, here is newest chapter to "Making Up Lost Time"...  
**

_He stood at the opened gateway in his boxers, clutching the door with his left hand as his right one fisted through his disheveled bed hair. _

_"Sophie…" It was as though he was seeing a ghost; but worse. "…Hi."_

Sophie; the _real_ Sophie, and not some figure of Kurtis' imagination, stood in his doorway smiling with delight. She had her hair pinned up in a tight dark bun with a strand here and there that poked out from her otherwise slick look. She had been heading off to her office and so was dressed in her primary work attire; a simple gray pantsuit. Her emerald eyes sparkled with happiness as she grinned at Kurtis' shocked expression.

"Believe me, I'm just as surprised!" She suddenly lurched forward and wrapped her arms around his waist in a welcoming hug. Pecking each of Kurtis' cheeks, she stepped into the apartment without ever even glancing back at him for permission. "I heard some noise and thought I'd come to meet the new tenants, but who do I find instead? Kurtis Trent, it must be-"

"-Ten years." He quickly finished her sentence, practically slamming the door as he walked back into his flat. "And what is it that you decided to come back for?"

"Oh you know me Kurtis, I'm a friendly neighbor. Just wanted to stop by and welcome the new tenants."

_Fuck. You mean to say 'fuck the new tenants.'_ Kurtis smiled cheaply and moved past Sophie back into his room to put some clothes on. Sophie observed the apartment with keen interest. She hadn't seen Kurtis in nearly ten years, and coming back into the same apartment where they had gotten to know each other, spiked a whole new sensation in the pit of her stomach. Memories of carnal pleasure were ignited by certain things in the room. The couch, counters, even the oriental white rug in the center of the living room made her smile and bite her lip.

"Hello?" The voice startled Sophie - no; not the voice itself, but the fact that it sounded much too like a woman's. There it was, a brunette woman, clad in nothing more than an oversized button-down shirt and skimpy black underwear. Sophie's eyebrow twitched with curiosity. The woman seemed not to be bothered at all that she was barely dressed, and instead the creature moved towards Sophie stretching out her hand. "Hello, I'm Lara. And you are…?"

"I'm Sophie; Kurtis' ex." Both women stood in silence for a few awkward seconds. Then, emerging at the perfect time, Kurtis entered the room; fully dressed and ready to throw Sophie out. He looked at Lara, and then to Sophie, and then back at Lara; who by now stood with her arms folded as a smug smile began to form on her face.

"I'm sure you two have already made introductions, so if you don't mind Sophie, we _really_ must get going." Ushering Sophie towards the exit, he slightly pushed the woman with his hand that rested on her lower back.

"Yes, of course." Sophie, for some reason, could not pin-point exactly why she was staring at Lara, but she was. And she watched the woman as Kurtis spoke to her, and when replying to his statement. "So you two must be-" Sophie evaded Kurtis and turned to face Lara again.

"-Nothing. We are nothing, just two people in the same apartment. Lara is my-"

"-Girlfriend." Lara approached Kurtis from behind, rubbing his shoulders. "Oh don't be shy sweetie; the world is going to find out soon enough. Besides, I think your ex-girlfriend should know how well you're doing. _Especially_ after last night…" Her eyes flicked up at Sophie, and she tilted her head to kiss his neck.

"That's wonderful Kurtis, I'm sure you're doing quite well in all aspects of your life." It couldn't have been more obvious that Sophie was purely jealous. Territorial tension between the two women was rising, and Kurtis was stuck in-between the conflict. Not that he minded or anything; how many men get the chance to have two beautiful women fighting one another for one guy? _I should just sit this one out._ He would watch the matter unfold, perhaps something interesting would happen. Then when enough hair was pulled out, and blood spilled, _then_ he would interrupt.

Finally giving up on Sophie's departure, considering she just kept coming back into an unwanted conversation, he went into the living room and sat down on the ivory couch. Lara quickly seated herself next to him; running her hand up the inside of his thigh as she did so. This little action caused him to exhale promptly and slightly jump.

"How long have you two been going out?" To Kurtis' further agitation of Sophie, she decided to sit down in _his_ recliner and continue to still be in the vicinity of the room. But as his mind ran through scenarios of ways to get her to leave, a larger part of him was deeply fascinated with the things that Lara was doing - to him. She hadn't acted this way before; so open and sensual, particularly around him. Unless of course she had some sort of agenda accommodated behind her actions.

"Just a few months now, right sweetie? I just adore him; ever since we first met it was like an atomic bomb went off!" Lara slid closer to Kurtis as she continued spinning her web of lies. "And the sex is amazing! I mean talk about a freak in bed…" She smiled and turned to Sophie, hushing her tone as though Kurtis wouldn't hear her. "That thing he does when I'm up on top of him, it feels so good that it makes me want to scream!"

Sophie's eyes widened in disgust. Who did this woman think she was talking about a subject that intimate? Why in hell would Kurtis date someone like _this?_

It was working; Lara's little scheme was working its magic right in front of their faces. Kurtis sat completely still next to Lara as well as in utter confusion. He tried his best poker face to camouflage his sudden interest in this new topic Lara was so urgent to raise. But somewhere in the back of his subconscious mentality he began to catch on.

"Oh you know Sophie; I think you remember how good the sex was when we were together." He turned his head to face Lara, "But unfortunately for her it wasn't satisfying enough, so she had to go find it somewhere else." It was Lara's inarticulate cue to go for it, and she did, gliding her palm down his chest and rubbing his thigh.

At this point Sophie was just furious. Not only had she begun to feel extremely uncomfortable in the room, she had just been harshly insulted by her ex. "I think I'd better go." She concluded impulsively, standing up and maneuvering towards the only exit out of the apartment.

Lara had picked up her leg and swiftly straddled Kurtis's heated figure. "I think you should too." She mumbled to Sophie, much too engaged with her newest activity. Lara heard Sophie close the door, and if she had conformed to her initial plan, she would have gotten off of him. When the two of them had resided at the hotel she had used a similar tactic against Kurtis to strip information out of him. Then, it was just a simple play of hands and nothing more. But this time, however, it was different. Now, as she rested astride Kurtis, with her legs on both sides of his lap and his hands inching up her waist, it was _her_ judgement that had clouded with lust._ Look at him; he wants you more than anything. You want it, you dream of it, you can taste him, _you_ can have him! Do it Lara, TAKE IT!_

_No!_

Kurtis, on the other hand, wasn't going to fall for this trick again. Last time, sure it had worked, and perhaps each of them got a little taste of the others' hunger, but he knew Lara – or at least he thought he did. The only thing that had kept plucking at his conscience was why she was doing it now?

With her alter ego battling her moral self, Lara's hazel eyes were transfixed onto Kurtis's. The words she wanted to express to him would not form in her vocal cords but fully scripted themselves into her brain. _I can't do this Kurtis. Not now, not ever. Please understand and just leave it alone. _If only he were able to read her mind, he might have understood what was happening and what she was trying to explain to him. She gently drew his hands and pushed them away, still attempting to telepathically get the message through to him. _Leave it alone._

This built up puissance amidst man and woman seemed only to fuel them both with overwhelming urgency to achieve victory. A state of brinkmanship had officially been declared and now it was just a matter of time before one of them would lose their hold on their desires and give into the animalistic appetite. And so as Lara stood and walked away from him, she couldn't help but get the feeling she had started something; some sort of internal bestial competition.

* * *

Not more than a few minutes had passed since Lara had left Kurtis on the couch, when his head popped into her room. She was packing; preparing for the journey ahead of her. Lara looked almost at peace as she put her belongings into a duffel bag. But she gasped suddenly and hunch over, grabbing her side. It was her rib cage, and whilst lifting her shirt up, she realized the entire left side of her torso was bruised.

"My god, Lara. That's from the crash isn't it?" Kurtis came into the room and surveyed the damage, delicately brushing the injury with his thumb.

She hissed. "Don't." Lara attempted to bring the garment down, but he wouldn't allow it. He just stared at the bruise like he were a surgeon that seemed to weigh his options.

"It's a cracked rib. Barely missed your left lung."

"How do you know?"

"I can see it, the same way I distinguish objects when I move them with my mind. It's just a fracture so I'm going to try to push it back to its original position and the bone should be able to fuse back together within time." Kurtis made her sit on the edge of the bed as he squatted beside her, encircling her midsection with his fingers. If her waist hadn't throbbed with torture so much, his touch might have actually felt satisfying.

"Wait - you're planning on repositioning my _cracked_ rib with your _mind_… Call me skeptical, but how is that even remotely possible?"

"It's not, but you're just going to have to trust me." He glanced up at her and smirked. "By the way, this is gonna hurt like a bitch."

"Thanks for the warn-" Before she could even finish, white hot pain shot through her system. Lara grasped Kurtis's shoulder and dug her fingers into his flesh, clawing for the misery to cease. She clenched her jaw, as her jagged breathing increased and painful whimpers began to tear at her throat. Her tormented eyes latched onto his determined ones, and she could feel the forsaken bone ever so slowly moving inside of her. A sharp yelp escaped her mouths cavity, which caused Lara to tighten her already white-knuckle grip on Kurtis. She strained to exert the suffering to the back of her mind, but the unbearable agony refused to obey. Just as Kurtis finally aligned the bone fragment, a cry bypassed her will and slipped out into the intense stillness around them.

"Calm down, you're fine. It's done, its over with." He tried to assuage her, but she shoved him away, her merciless eyes narrowing at his form. "I'll check if we have some aspirin." Sighing heavily with frustration and not wanting to be the entity of her hate, he left her bedroom returning to his own.

* * *

"I don't think we're going to leave today…" Lara sat on the bed, protectively cradling her tender left side. Kurtis reentered her bedroom with a glass of water and two pills. "I doubt our train would leave in these conditions."

"Because of the rain?"

"No, the apocalypse." She snapped back. "Of course the rain, it's been pouring ever since your little girlfriend decided to stop by and have a chat." Snatching the painkillers from his hand she gulped them down along with the refreshing water. "You shouldn't have let her in in the first place."

"Why are you making such a huge deal out of Sophie? Are you somehow jealous of her? I wasn't going to chuck her out the window and down three stories if that's what you wanted."

"Well maybe you should have."

"Maybe it should have been you." Lara glared at him, feeling the blood beneath her skin begin to reach boiling point. "You're probably right; we're going to be stuck here for another day. Meaning I have to put up with more of your bullshit and stuck-up attitude."

"_My_ stuck-up attitude? I can't have _one_ decent conversation without you bringing up some juvenile issue about personalities! And yet you think I'm difficult? Trying to get through to you is like trying to teach a stone how to write; no matter how many times you train it, it doesn't get it!" Lara rose and stormed out, enraged with Kurtis and the current situation.

"Where are you going?" He called after her, looking down at the wooden floors.

"I'll be in the shower!"

"Don't use up all the damn hot water!"

"I'll be sure to!" She barked back.

An angry growl erupted from between his clamped teeth and he found himself kicking the invisible air with rage. Kurtis got out of Lara's bedroom and reached for his leather jacket on the way out of the apartment. _I need a fucking holiday._ He hurled the door shut behind him.

* * *

As Lara's showers were never intended on being short or abrupt; it was only an hour and a half after their little feud that Lara emerged from the bathroom covering herself with a velutinous towel. Steam gushed out of the tiled chamber alongside with her departure. _That bugger. Worthless, slimy, arrogant, lying bastard._ As her thoughts proceeded to stir up more adjectives to describe her current views of Kurtis, she quickly realized that he had exited the building. _Good, perhaps he'll get hit by a truck._ Her physical pain had begun to die down, much thanks to the sedatives she had taken earlier, and she now felt the motive to call Bryce and make sure he was alright.

_"Lara! My god, it's great to hear from you again."_

"Hello Bryce" She smiled, holding the phone to her ear. "Where are you?"

_"Venice. Beautiful place."_

"Lovely. Listen Bryce, are you by a computer?"

_"Yes, what do you need?"_

"Look up when Vasiliev is having the grand opening to his gallery. If I'm correct, I believe it should be tomorrow at eight." Lara held the receiver to her shoulder whilst squeezing her damp body into a pair of jeans. Keyboard clicking echoed through the other end of the line.

_"That's right. Tomorrow at eight, near Red Square. Do you want the address?"_

"No, I'll find it. Thanks though. One last thing; can you pull up the blueprints of the gallery. Vasiliev knows I'll be coming, but if I can find a way to slip in without him comprehending it, then I wouldn't have to cause a large panic."

_"I was wondering when you were going to ask. This may take some time. I'll call you back when I have them."_

"Good." Lara tossed the phone onto the bed. She used a towel to dry her wet hair and braid it back into its' regular collective plait.

Most people who were acquainted with Lara never would assume her to be a pacer. Oh but she was; and a rapid one at that. It was something she absolutely dreaded; marching back and forth until a visible crater is created. But in this circumstance there wasn't much that she could do. With Kurtis out and about in who knows where, and Bryce working on those blueprints, Lara really did not have much to fully occupy her mind. The four hours of sleep she had gotten from the night before were not helping either. She sighed heavily as if a massive rock had been placed onto her back and laid down on the comfortable bed, closing her eyes for mere moments before drifting off into the darkness of sleep.

It was many hours later that Lara awoke to her mobile phones' buzzing. "Did you get them?"

_"Yeah I did, I'm sending them to your PDA right now." _ Somewhere in the background a seductive feminine murmur vocalized itself. _"Sorry Lara, I got to go."_

She smiled mischievously. "I better not have little Bryce's running around when I get back." Ending the call she discovered that she had slept through almost the entire day. A new night had blanketed the aged city but the rain and thunder maintained their momentum, carrying on in loud claps and low-key droplets of tears. Being in a city this magnificent and not traversing it made Lara make the decision to leave the flat and explore the area. On her way out, her ladylike psyche persuaded her to comb a thin layer of mascara onto her eyelashes. _You know why you're doing it…_

_Stop it already. This has nothing to do with _him. She glanced up at the mirror and inspected the reflection, deliberating on whether she really should leave. _I can't just sit here and wait…_And so after making sure she had gotten Bryce's files, Lara quietly closed the front door after herself and walked down into the soaking street. The same pub she had spotted the day before still bustled with outcries of laughter and music. A couple of tourists dashed out from their cab and rushed into the tavern in hopes of the rain not seeping through them. Lara flipped her jackets' collar to protect her neck from the downpour and jogged down to the bar at the end of the corner.

The smoke filled room was not exactly what Lara thought she would be encountering. There were plenty of people there; some old, some young, and some who looked like they belonged in school rather than in a place like this. The warm environment was decorated with painted landscape murals, easily noticeable imitations of expensive art, and wooden caricature statues resembling drunken soldiers.

"Parlez-vous l'anglais?" She asked the bartender, taking a seat on a selected barstool.

"Oui. What can I get for you mademoiselle?"

She paused, catching the eye of a man sitting several chairs down. "Scotch." With precise skill, he dispatched the drink, sluicing the dark liquor into a clean glass. Slipping several euros to him, she whisked her scotch out of his hand and neared the man she spotted earlier. "Hello stranger."

Kurtis Trent remained sitting, staring straight ahead whilst taking a swig of his beer and not turning towards Lara. He set the bottle down and ignorantly lit up a cigarette, poising it at his lips and between his fingers.

"Oh Kurtis, don't act so thrilled to see me." His icy eyes rolled in their sockets, lining up to look at her sideways. "See that good-looking man across the room? I think I shall go talk to him, seeing it as you aren't planning on speaking to me and all." Her tone was parallel to his unconcerned demeanor.

Only after Lara had walked away, had Kurtis seen the man Lara was suggesting. He wasn't bad looking, _for a guy who looks like he's been fucking hookers all his life._ He breathed out slowly and ordered another beer.

She had conversed with Frederic for several minutes before it became fully lucid he only spoke to her because he assumed he might be able to take her home.

Fortunately for him, it was his lucky night.

Everything had shifted into view; Lara finally understood why Kurtis was behaving the way he was. It wasn't because of the way she was acting, but because he wanted something she would not allow him to have. The night at the dock when he had tenderly kissed her; his touch felt like he had been dying to do it since they had first met. She knew it was truly killing him inside; seeing her with someone else; permitting them to feel her, stroke her skin, when she prohibited his own legitimate contact. Her mind smiled villainously. It was time _he_ suffered.

Kurtis scrutinized the pair from his seat; an evolving feeling of sickness worming into his stomach. It was like watching a film about a human being skinned alive and you couldn't turn it off nor look away. She laughed gleefully at his pathetic jokes, whispered into his filthy ears, let his sleazy hands roam her divine body and she did nothing that would emit disapproval. In fact, if it weren't for the occasional push, it seemed that she was enjoying his presence. However, as his squalid little head leaned into her, Kurtis felt his pulse rise to a new found intensity. He strangled his bottle of beer, feeling a surge of energy swelling within him; feeling it anticipate bursting out.

Lara purred in Frederic's ear, sensing his lips seeking out the ones she possessed. She detected that her objective was watching them; his prying azure eyes tracking their every movement. She was pushing on glass, pushing harder, bent on cornering Kurtis out of his stability. The problem with glass however, is that the more you press on it, the more likely its bound to break. As Frederic's taunting lips zoned in on their target and as Lara caressed his chest awaiting the mouth-to-mouth collision, a deafening shrieking sound silenced everything.

The glass container in Kurtis' hand lay in pieces.

Anything made from the crystalline substance shattered suddenly; florescent lights crumbled to the ground, drinks spilled onto the floor, music ceased, windows blew in and blackness engulfed the building. With the exception of the rain outside, all persons in the room froze casting a frightening muteness. Lara could see a shadow leaving the bar; the entrance swinging on its hinges behind him. _Kurtis._ She ran out following him, forgetting the confused crowd and Frederic. "Kurtis, wait!"

He kept going, focused on forgetting this night, this city, these people, this damn continent and that damn English woman. Both of them couldn't care less about the weather surrounding them. The cold water was dripping down Lara's face getting into her eyes; rivulets rolling down her thin shirt. "So this is what you do, Kurtis? You run away fleeing like a pansy from me?! You think you're so different, so much better at what you do that you forget the shit around you!" His heavy boots splashed through puddles, but he had no intention of stopping and speaking to her. Walking quickly enough, Lara had to even run after him, and soon they had come to the glass apartment entrance. His hand twitched, telekinetically unlocking the deadbolt lock. Thunder boomed outside and the downpour was only becoming steadier with each of her bitter comments.

They now were in the staircase treading upwards to the third floor. Still pursuing him, Lara upped her pace trailing after him. She was fuming; at exactly what she wasn't sure, but she knew it was, in one way or another, directed towards him. "Are you ever going to admit to the fact that you feel something more for me?!" He faltered for the briefest of moments but pressed on, taking two steps at a time. His non-responsiveness caused her to pounce up to him and grab his forearm, pulling him back. "Kurtis listen to me!"

Without warning she was propelled against the wall, slamming into it so roughly she thought her shoulder blades would snap. One of his hands found a way to her neck and clasped it, nearly cutting off the circulation to her head. His cobalt eyes held no remorse, nothing compassionate; it was an expression that Lara did not think any human could summon in their deepest of rages. She was unceremoniously pinned to the wall; unable to move any of her limbs. If there had been an emotion to describe pure hate combined with incomprehensible arousal in one word, she couldn't muster it. It stood out so clearly to her how ravishing his heaving wet body felt against hers. This, blending with the low levels of blood flow to her brain induced her to feel light-headed. Kurtis pulled away from her cautiously, turning his head and releasing Lara from his death-grip.

Lara snapped.

Filling the short gap between their drenched bodies, she kissed his lips fiercely, snaking her arms around his lean neck. Kurtis had been caught off guard when she initiated the movement, but he pushed her back against the wall again and deepened the passionate kiss; entwining his ravenous tongue with hers. This had gone far beyond a desire; it had advanced into a need.

There was no going back at this point. Both of them struggled getting up the last flight of stairs and stumbled into the apartment, clawing desperately at each others clothing. Breathless and in pain, Lara's agony only nourished her appetite for him. She hopped up and crossed her ankles around his waist, feeling the result of her efforts on him down under. Never breaking from the hungry kiss, Kurtis carried her to his bedroom and mentally closed the door.

"This-" She tore his leather jacket off, throwing it to the ground. "Doesn't change-" Peeling the t-shirt off, she bit his lower lip and tugged. "A thing." Her hands wanted to explore every millimeter of his tight glowing skin; too overwhelmed to decide what to feel first. "-No matter how good this is." She felt him smiling against her lips and she moaned at the thought of where those wandering creatures could go.

"Let's leave that to tomorrow shall we-" He stripped her of her clothes just as easily. "Because by that time you'll still be exhausted and begging for more." One palm guided itself along her backbone; undoing her bra and allowing it to fall, as the other slinked further below teasing the waistband of her panties. She was kneeling on the mattress whilst he stood next to her, stroking her beautiful skin. "I don't think you'll be needing these tonight." And in one swift motion, he pulled the undergarment down.

"Well then, I'm required to return the favor." Her tongue toyed wickedly along his chest, darting out in beats and tasting him. She pulled at his belt, driving his jeans to his feet. _Well, well, well… Not bad…_ With one eyebrow raised, she retreated from his grasp and inched her way up the mattress; leaning on one elbow and raising a finger; curling it, inviting him to come closer. The look in both their eyes was burning with the thirst of aphrodisia and bodily flesh.

Kurtis kicked off his boots and followed her, sliding up her sprawled out figure. Kissing her calves, he persisted upward, gliding his hands along the inside of her thighs. He felt her shiver beneath him as his hands met a certain sensitive spot and chuckled quietly to himself. _Women…_ She threw her head back, suppressing another moan from erupting. Continuing to caress her battle-scarred body with his lips, he coated her skin with hot lingering kisses. Her toned waist, breasts, collar-bone, throat; all experienced the moist precision of Kurtis' warm tongue. When she thought she wouldn't be able to take anymore of his pleasurable torment, he kissed her lips, pressing his conditioned muscles against her awaiting body. "What took you so long?" She grinned, arching her back into his physique as though it were magnetized.

"Strategizing my approach." All past known feuds and rivalries were abandoned as he sheathed himself inside her, suffocating her with his mouth as he did so. Her breathing became ragged, exiting her lungs in hot spurts of carbon dioxide. They were intoxicated; under the influence of each other; their scent, their sweat, their longing for sexual indulgence.

They rocked hips in a synchronized rhythm; sweating, digging their nails into flesh, fulfilling the second nature needs as they moved like one in Namur's moonlight. It was several hours later that they collapsed onto each other, more than once undergoing levels of blissful ecstasy they had never imagined. Both were slick with perspiration and heaved for fresh oxygen. Lara listened to Kurtis' heartbeat slow back to normal. She was lying on top of him, embracing his broad chest with her arms. _If only you knew what you're getting yourself into…_To the consistent soothing beat of their hearts, both Lara and Kurtis surrendered into a deep slumber.

**Thank you for reading! Now I know you're just dying to review... : )**


	12. Ticking Clock

**Hey guys... so it's been a while since I've updated this baby, a whopping 2+ years. Sorry about that! I had kinda forgotten about this story for a while (I know, I know, I'm terrible) and so I tried to write this newest chapter as soon as I could. My apologize if the chapter doesn't live up to par! haha :)**

"Good evening ladies and gentlemen. I first off would like to welcome all of you to tonight's eye-opening presentation." Vasiliev smiled and paused as he thought of the appropriate words. "As many of you have been informed, my colleagues and I have recently excavated the mythical 'Jade Key'. This 'Key' is rumored to be one of the worlds most sought out relics. That, of course, was true until twelve days ago, when our team had located the hidden artifact on the western border of China. With its captivating emerald glow, and mysterious past, just gazing at it will spill your minds into an ocean of possibilities." His voice changed tones considerably; from nearly exploding with pride to an almost resentful intonation.

"This magnificent malachite item has not only taken several years to ascertain, but also taken several lives; fellow colleagues that had become dear friends. These passionate explorers who died in the name of archeology are with us tonight; in our hearts and in spirit. Today we salute these men and women for their courage, knowledge and dedication. It was nearly fifty years ago when José Tavares Silva passed away in an undoubtedly terrible plane crash. His passion and devotion was the pumping adrenaline in our veins that allowed us to carry on, even in the most critical and emotional of situations. He was a friend of my fathers' and in some sense, a friend of mine. Tonight's presentation is to you." Lifting his champagne glass, Vasiliev raised it high and slightly nodded his head. A respectful silence engulfed the room; each person taking a moment to acknowledge an archeological achievement. "I shall take no more of your time, but before I go I would like to thank our catering services, and urge you all to try to the crab." He grinned with accomplishment. "Thank you." The audience acclaimed profusely as he backed away bowing, behind the stage curtains.

Nikolai Vasiliev stepped off the stage proudly, quite relieved to get his opening speech over with. It was an exclusive black-tie event with females flaunting their dearest assets, both real and apocryphal. As the time passed, he found himself striking up conversation with beautiful women, glancing down at cleavage from time to time, and articulately addressing some of the world's most powerful men.

The gallery's assembly hall was embellished purposefully for this aristocratic evening. Complete with expensive white tablecloths, ten-carat gold silverware, and pure crystal glasses for the never-ending flow of champagne. A jazz band continuously entertained the guests as their musical tunes drifted between discussions and dialogues. If the gold silverware was not impressive enough, the prodigious diamond chandelier that emulated rays of light like dancing spectacles definitely caught the attention of partakers. Patrons surrounded the marvel, which loomed high above the main focal point of the party.

The Jade Key floated seamlessly inside a cubic bulletproof glass case. Its green shine glistened in the eyes of the audience, captivating them with its mysterious beauty. The heavy, pentagon-shaped object presented itself on three steel prongs that held it in place. Vasiliev was curious to discover the reactions of the people; finding them interested in something they knew so little about it.

"Sir." Alex West tapped Vasiliev's arm and waited for his employer to turn around.

"Ah, Alex, how wonderful that you were able to make it." He had a woman wrapped around his arm, perceivably hoping to get a form of commodity by the end of the night.

"Sir, I don't think we should be doing this so soon." Vasiliev excused himself from his temporary date and hustled Alex into the corner.

"What are you talking about? When is Raphael supposed to arrive?" He kept his voice down, harshly whispering the words.

"We do not know if the so called 'chant' will even work. What if you paid Raphael in return for a fabricated load of horseshit?" Alex breathed out with annoyance, dissatisfied with the fact that Vasiliev was not taking him seriously. "I think you should postpone the date until we know Croft is out of the headlines. You yourself know how good she is at fucking things up."

Apparently the alcohol Vasiliev had previously consumed wasn't preparing on wearing off just yet. "You fool; Raphael fully knows what I am capable of if he has chosen to deceive me. The bastard is far too afraid to cross me." He scanned the vast room with his radar-like eyes. "As for Miss. Croft, let her come to us, I know she is more than likely to show up soon. I want to see the pathetic look on her face when I succeed."

"But sir-"

"Leave me Alex, go play your childish games somewhere else. I have business to attend to."

_**Sixteen hours earlier…**_

Lara exhaled deeply into her luxurious pillow. Her eyes were closed as she wriggled under the warm bed-sheets relishing this moments of relaxation. The bed was so comforting and forgiving that when her eyes opened lazily she felt completely reborn. She shut them again and smiled, nestling her head under the covers. Quiet. Peaceful. The only audible sound in the room was the harmonic melody of birds chirping outside.

She felt something shift behind her. Behind her dark lids she imagined the silky body of a male figure gently caressing her skin. She created him in her partially conscious mind with dark shaggy hair that always seemed to interrupt his vision. His muscles were steal-like to the eyes but pleasant and thermal to the touch. A recognizable face seemed to blur into her revelation as she envisioned Kurtis' mesmerizing eyes. She pictured him snuggling up against her body and lovingly kissing the back of her neck as he'd whisper naughty sayings into her ear making her laugh at the idea of them. _You wish you could…_She chuckled quietly imagining herself hearing one his phrases.

It shifted again, this time luring Lara away from her fantasy and pulling her back into the morning's reality. She opened her eyes once again only to confuse her mind about her surroundings. _This isn't my room… Those are definitely _not_ my jeans…_Something snaked over her torso; its' palm settling almost purposefully on her waist. _Kurtis._

She craned her neck around to glance back at the man lying next to her.

His eyelids fluttered at the notion of tranquil sleep. He dreamt of happiness and of a place far away from this universe's madness and corruption. His smooth chest rose only to press against her bare back. Lara took in this once in a lifetime opportunity to study him from afar. In the sunlight, she explored his skin with her curious eyes; skimming over bruises, scars, scratches. Her vision dug deeper, under his skin, glancing briefly into his soul; into this state of vulnerability he cast when he slept.

A mixture of cigarette smoke, mint and the diminishing hint of cologne developed a cloud of deliciousness around Kurtis. Masculine and refreshing to her nostrils, she stored the aroma within her memory; planning to secretly return to it in the future. Sliding the protective bed sheets away from her body, she crawled out of the bed naked. With one final eyeful of his resting figure, she tiptoed to the bathroom; shutting the door quietly behind her.

Kurtis Trent was jolted awake by the banging sound of a windswept door. He took up the majority of his bed, spread-eagled with his head and nose suffocating in the pillows. Groaning boyishly, he lifted his head ever so slightly from the feather-filled cushions and peeled one eye open.

"Lara?" Silence responded to him. "…No, of course not. I had a feeling you weren't the type for a morning quickie…"

He flipped onto his back beneath the covers, rubbing calloused hands against his sleepy face.

Kurtis did not need to confirm what he already knew. Lara Croft was Lara Croft after all. He had not expected her to leave in such hurry however; it was not even nearly seven in the morning yet. As he rose out of bed and stretched like the powerful warrior that he was, he noticed a small black engraving on the pillow next to him.

_There's coffee in the kitchen._

That familiar smirk drew across his face as he read her script. Making his way over the kitchen and pouring himself a cup of the invigorating black liquid, he proceeded down to the kitchen balcony in his boxer shorts. Mug in hand, Kurtis had to shield his eyes from the instantaneous rays of sunlight.

The city was reviving itself for another eventful day; soon to be buzzing with life and excitement. Bistros and cafes were emerging out with their large patio umbrellas, street merchants setup their venues and called out to passing pedestrians, and the laughter of children echoed down the cobblestoned street. For several brief moments Kurtis had forgotten the cruel world and embraced this mini utopia he was witnessing. He took a sip of his drink and leaned over the railing to investigate what was going on three floors down. That's when he caught his last glimpse of her. She was dictating where she desired to go to the cab driver, and as if feeling Kurtis staring down at her, she looked up, blew him a flirtatious kiss, and laughed.

"Catch me if you can, Trent!" she hollered up to him.

**Again, my apologies! Review! :)**


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